Four-week 'Festival of Gratitude' runs from Monday
Onuri vouchers chosen over discounts to boost local economies
Military, police, fire and corrections officers to receive 30% benefit
Company reviewing additional social contribution measures
Samsung Electronics will give all customers who purchase its products a digital Onuri gift voucher worth 20 percent of their purchase price for four weeks starting Monday. Military personnel, police officers, firefighters and corrections officers will receive an additional 10 percentage points, bringing their benefit to 30 percent.
Samsung Electronics announced Friday it would hold the "Together with the People — Samsung Electronics Festival of Gratitude" to share the fruits of the company's growth with the public.
The total value of Onuri gift vouchers to be distributed during the event is expected to reach 400 billion won (about $262 million). The vouchers can be used like cash at traditional markets and neighborhood commercial districts across the country.
"We decided to issue Onuri gift vouchers — redeemable at traditional markets and small local businesses — instead of offering direct product discounts, in order to also contribute to revitalizing local economies," the company said.
Military officers, non-commissioned officers and active-duty soldiers, as well as police, fire and corrections civil servants, will all be eligible for the 30 percent benefit. The event will be held through Samsung Electronics' online Family Mall.
Samsung Electronics estimates that more than 700,000 people will benefit, including an estimated 500,000 active-duty soldiers and military civilian employees, approximately 131,000 police officers, about 66,000 firefighters and around 16,000 corrections officers.
The event is part of a broader commitment Samsung Electronics announced immediately after reaching a tentative wage agreement with its union on May 27, when the company pledged to invest 5 trillion won over five years in building a cooperative ecosystem and nurturing future talent.
Samsung Electronics also plans to announce additional measures — developed through discussions with its board of directors and compliance committee — to ensure the company's business results flow back into society in a virtuous cycle.
Measures under review include strengthening the industrial ecosystem through support for partner companies, expanding inclusive financial services to help low-income groups and small self-employed business owners with limited access to finance achieve self-sufficiency and rebuild, and bolstering talent development and industry-academia cooperation to secure competitiveness in future industries such as AI.
joze@heraldcorp.com
