Invest KOREA

- Companies were awarded the grand prize in six different fields -

- The award is expected to encourage CSR activities by foreign-invested companies in Korea -

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA, President: Oh Young-ho) held the Foreign-invested Companies CSR Award on December 12 in Seoul.

Despite positive contributions to the country’s job creation and economic growth, there have been negative perceptions of foreign-invested companies in Korea. The ceremony aimed to promote foreign-invested companies contributing to the country by awarding their outstanding CSR activities.

DHL Korea, Wilo Pumps, FRL Korea, Renault Samsung Motors, Pernod Ricard Korea and L’Oreal Korea were awarded the grand prize in six different categories.

DHL Korea fully used its global network for international volunteer activities. After the war in Iraq ended in 2003, the company participated in an emergency medical support team and transported medical supplies and devices at no cost. The company also works with relevant authorities, including the United Nations Children’s Fund and Beautiful Store, to deliver relief supplies without charge to regions that suffered disasters and casualties. DHL Korea was awarded the global grand prize for its performance in the global community.

Wilo Pumps was awarded the grand prize of contribution for its “Wilo Liebe’s” contribution to the local community. “Wilo Liebe,” a volunteer team comprising the company’s employees and their families, visits social welfare facilities for those with disabilities and the elderly, including Jinaewon, Bedesdawon and the Sweet Home for Elderlies in Busan. The company organized various CSR activities including facility cleaning, painting classes and distribution of Korea Traditional Festival foods.

FRL Korea received the grand prize of customer care for UNIQLO Recycle, a campaign that collects unwanted clothes from customers and redistributes them to people in need. The campaign is carried out in UNIQLO stores worldwide with the consideration of the local climate and cultural background. The company’s activity attracted great attention after it carried out what was known as the 3 million project between June and October in 2011 and the Syria refugees project last month in response to a request by the UN Refugee Agency.

Renault Samsung Motors carried out activities including “Safe road, safe kids,” “safe school zone” and “eco ACTION” campaign to promote traffic safety. As a part of these activities, the company held educational programs for children, a public campaign contest and Eco Driving School. Members of the award panel were deeply impressed that the motor company, which is closely related to traffic accidents, did its upmost to carry out various events to promote traffic safety.

Pernod Ricard Korea was awarded the grand prize of innovation. The company focused on CSR activities to promote a healthy drinking culture and educate the general public to stop drunk driving, and carried out activities including a Smart Driving campaign and one that promoted responsible drinking each day. As a part of the campaigns, the company placed a bandaged car – a real car wrapped with a long strip of bandage – at an expressway rest area on Gyeongbu Expressway to alert drivers to the risks of drunk driving and organized a flash mob event at Namsangol Traditional Korean Village to show an image of a bandaged car plunging into glass.

L’Oreal Korea offered constant and long-term CSR activities to support people in the areas of science, education and the underprivileged, and hence was awarded the grand prize of growth. A number of activities led by L’Oreal Korea were considered examples of excellent CSR activities. The L’Oreal Korea-UNESCO women’s bioscience award seeks to discover and foster talented women scientists in Korea, and the “working mom” project assists women when they return to the workforce after maternity leave. “Citizen Day” offers employees opportunities to participate in volunteer programs, and a science open lab program supports female high school students who strive for a scientific career.

The ceremony was joined by Invest Korea Commissioner Kiwon Han and officials of prize-winning companies including Takahiro Wakabayashi (Group Senior Vice President of FRL Korea), Jean-Manuel Spriet (Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Korea) and Richard Cymberg (President of L’Oreal Korea). External award panel members including Executive President of the Global Competitiveness Empowerment Forum Joo-hyun Kang also attended the event.

“We are deeply grateful for the contributions of foreign-invested companies for Korean society through CSR activities. We hope that the award will improve the public image of foreign direct investment and play a pivotal role as a platform for foreign-invested companies to step up their CSR activities in Korea,” said Commissioner Han.