Doosan proud of being good corporate citizen
By Kim Yoo-chul
It’s no secret that corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities are a critical part of modern business.
All top-tier companies globally claim to be socially responsible and that trend is also applied in exacting terms to big companies in South Korea with Doosan Group leading the way.
CSR has become the top priority of the nation’s oldest industrial conglomerate. It is hiring more CSR experts and integrating CSR principles in its long-term strategy.
One of the noticeable results is the launch of a new team, which only handles CSR activities. Since last year, the team has been coordinating programs with the group’s affiliates, said senior company spokesman Lee Jay-hyung.
Oh Sae-wook, an executive managing director, is controlling the new team with a mission for developing and fine-tuning CSR.
``Doosan strongly believes that wherever we operate such programs, our activities should result in major economic benefits, opportunities and further enhance the quality of life of our partners locally and even outside the Korean Peninsula,’’ said Lee.
``Our conduct should have a very positive influence.’’
Doosan has been implementing a number of social programs, ultimately leading to the welfare of society and its priority for this year was to enhance socially responsible business activities and finance projects, taking the opinions of the public and its clients and shareholders, according to the group in a statement.
Yonkang Foundation, established in 1978 to honor Doosan’s first chairman Park Doo-byung, is also a key part of its CSR activities.
The Yonkang Artist Award nominates four artists aged under 40 annually, and the winners each receive 100 million won cash.
Doosan Residency New York is one of the group’s CSR programs that’s been gaining attention since its launch in June 2009. It allows artists to work in studios and even apartments in New York for free with full support from the Doosan Arts Center in Seoul.
``Many interesting social projects are implemented for the benefit of the society in which we live and operate. We will provide more support for artists,’’ said the spokesman.
There are very few people in Vietnam, which Doosan identifies as a must-go market, who properly understand what CSR means or even what the social responsibility of businesses is as it is not a popular trend there.
The Doosan Vina Heavy Industry Company, or simply Doosan Vina, is channeling its funding for medical support there, by partnering Korea’s ChungAng University Medical Center (CUMC).
Doosan Vina is the biggest heavy industrial firm in Vietnam, which has been producing power generation and desalination facilities since 2009.
Doosan Vina and CUMC have donated medical rehabilitation equipment and anemia medicine for more than 300 pregnant women, worth some $60,000, according to Lee.
He said the charity campaign was initially arranged by Doosan upon learning from the Quang Ngai provincial authority in Vietnam that pregnant women were suffering from miscarriages and premature births.
Doosan Infracore, one of Doosan’s key affiliates and South Korea’s biggest construction equipment maker, has also sent remote-controlled machinery to Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant in an attempt to help repair work as radiation prevents humans from entering the station.
Infracore sent two compact track loaders manufactured by its Bobcat unit to wash debris from inside the plant.
``That means Doosan is using different projects in terms of CSR including the revitalization of local societies,’’ said Lee.