SEOUL, May 11 (Korea Bizwire) — SK hynix Inc., South Korea’s No. 2 chipmaker, said Monday that it created 4.88 trillion won (US$4.37 billion) worth of social value last year through environment, social and governance (ESG) management, up 36 percent from 3.58 trillion won a year ago.
It made an indirect economic contribution of 5.37 trillion won through tax payment, employment and dividends last year, up 32 percent year on year.
Thanks to the recovery of the semiconductor market, SK hynix’s tax payment and dividends increased by 211 percent and 17 percent, respectively, year on year.
The company also achieved the mandatory employment rate for the vulnerable class, including people with disabilities.
Its social contribution achievements, including donations and corporate social responsibility activities, amounted to 110.6 billion won last year, up 60 percent from a year before.
However, its business achievements in social performance, including social and environmental fields, declined by 596.9 billion won compared to a year ago.
In the category of the business achievements in environmental performance, it recorded a negative amount of 944.8 billion won through its use of a huge amount of water and electricity during the process of producing semiconductor products and environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions.
In the category of social and product or service performance, however, it achieved a positive achievement of 322.4 billion won and 25.5 billion won, respectively, offsetting some of the negative achievements in environmental performance.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)