(LEAD) S. Korean corporations donate to Haiti relief effort

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SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's leading corporations said Monday they
will join in global relief efforts for quake-ravaged Haiti.

A massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean state Wednesday, causing at
least 50,000 deaths, according to the latest report by the Red Cross.
The powerful earthquake is also said to have destroyed thousands of buildings and
homes, with tens of thousands of bodies still buried in the rubble and with the
United Nations warning of continued aftershocks.
Samsung Group, which has Asia's biggest electronics manufacturer Samsung
Electronics Co. under its wing, said it has decided to make a donation of US$1
million to Haiti.
According to a Samsung spokesman, each Samsung affiliate will contribute to the
total amount, which is expected to be the largest given to Haiti by a South
Korean company.
Employees at LG Electronics Inc., one of the world's leading electronics makers,
have donated 50 million won ($44,326) to a fund drive launched by the
international humanitarian NGO Good Neighbors International, company officials
said Monday.
"We would like to express sadness for the great loss that the Haitians are
experiencing now," an LG employee said in a statement.
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., South Korea's leading shipbuilder, said that it
plans to donate two excavators of 21 tons and 11 tons, respectively.
It also said it will continue to provide spare parts for the two machines until
the relief efforts end.
"We decided to make the donation as part of the humanitarian aid, as there is an
urgent need for excavators in Haiti," said a spokesman for Hyundai Heavy
Industries.
On Sunday, the country's No. 1 automaker, Hyundai Motor Co., said it was sending
US$100,000 to the Red Cross, while Kolon Group, founded in 1954, said it will
send 150 sets of Kolon Sports-made tents, worth at least 180 million won.
The Federation of Korean Industries, South Korea's largest business lobby, and
three other business bodies plan to create a joint aid package to be delivered to
the Haitians, according to an industry source.
South Korea sent a 35-member disaster assistance team and supplies worth $1
million to Haiti earlier this week, and is planning extra aid, according to
presidential spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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