Korean companies offer money, donations to earthquake-hit Turkey, Syria

Korean companies are sending donations and equipment to Turkey and Syria as part of emergency relief efforts following a massive earthquake that resulted in more than 7,000 deaths.

Doosan Group announced Wednesday that the corporation will send around 1.25 billion won ($1 million) worth of Doosan Bobcat’s construction equipment for disaster relief in Turkey.

Doosan plans to promptly deliver the equipment, with the support of a local contractor, to be used for rescuing people and restoring basic infrastructure such as roads and buildings.

The equipment to be delivered includes skid loaders and excavators to remove debris and portable power generators and lighting equipment to be used at sites with no electricity.

“We hope these can provide practical help in disaster relief and damage repair,” a spokesperson for Doosan said Wednesday.

Doosan Group has provided its equipment and donations to disaster relief sites in the past, including for Hurricane Katrina in 2005, earthquakes in China in 2008, in Haiti in 2010 and in Japan in 2011, a typhoon in the Philippines in 2013 and another earthquake in Indonesia in 2018.

HD Hyundai said it will provide 10 mid-size excavators through its local dealer to the regions hit by the earthquake.

“We hope the aid can provide some help for a quick recovery,” an HD Hyundai spokesperson said in a press release on Wednesday. “We hope that local residents will be able to return to their peaceful, daily lives as soon as possible.”

HD Hyundai similarly provided aid such as equipment, donations and workforce in the past for large-scale disasters across the globe, such as for the earthquakes in China, Haiti and Japan and the Philippines typhoon.

Hyundai Motor’s Turkish subsidiary will send $500,000 in relief aid to the southeastern Turkey’s earthquake-ridden region.

The corporation plans to send $50,000 worth of equipment for rescue operations and use the other $450,000 for the purchase of rescue equipment and relief supplies for victims in consultation with the Turkey Disaster and Management Authority (AFAD).

It also pledged to provide a 50 percent discount on the repair and regular inspection cost of damaged vehicles in disaster-stricken areas.

Hana Financial Group donated $300,000 for emergency aid to Turkey and Syria, the financial firm said Wednesday.

Hana Financial Group, which has 206 global offices in 25 countries, is the only commercial Korean bank to have an office in Istanbul.

Meanwhile, data from private company researcher Korea CXO Research Institute showed that 19 Korean conglomerates have 70 local subsidiaries in Turkey.

Yet no Korean company has reported damage from the earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria, as most are located around Istanbul, far west from the epicenter.

BY SEO JI-EUN, SOHN DONG-JOO [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]