Employees at the LG Electronics’ Thailand office ran some 698km, covering ground from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in 28 days. The race was a part of Thailand’s anti-drug campaign, and the firm plans to donate a portion of its revenue from washer sales to the Thai royal family’s anti-drug fund during the event.

LG Electronics’ executive director Gwon Yeong-je said that over 30,000 Thais participated in the event, significantly improving LG’s brand recognition in the country.

A volunteer group at the Samsung Electronics’ Giheung plant recently celebrated the completion of an elementary school in Myanmar. The school was established with a fund of about $180,000 raised from the employees and executives at the plant. Samsung Electronics is also helping to construct and renovate eight schools in Bangladesh. It will also provide educational supplies. With the partnership of famous athletes such as golfer Arnold Palmer and basketball star Magic Johnson, Samsung has been doing fundraising drives and sponsoring non-profit organizations.

Since 1996, SK Group has been sponsoring free surgery for Vietnamese children with congenital malformations, and some 1,250 kids have benefited from the program. SK has expanded the program every year, while it has not yet introduced its consumer products to the Vietnamese market.

A long-time sponsor of one of the most successful scholarship quiz shows for high school students in Korea, SK Group created Zhuangyuanbeng, a Chinese version of the show, in January 2000. Some 1,500 Chinese students have participated in the quiz show, and SK offers various scholarship programs as well as a tour to Korea, to promote the country among Chinese youth.

Senior researcher Kim Jae-mun of the LG Economic Research Institute says that public interest marketing eases a possibly tricky relationship with foreign governments and local civil organizations, and improves the firm’s brand image in the long run. (Jo Hyeong-rae, hrcho@chosun.com )