BASF Korea appreciates COVID-19 heroes through ‘Thank You Challenge’

Seoul, Korea – July 24, 2020 – BASF Korea took part in the nation-wide ‘Thank You Challenge’ to express gratitude to the public at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, especially medical workers and volunteers.   

In a campaign initiated by the government’s Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, participants posted photos or videos expressing ‘respect’ and ‘pride’ using sign language and accompanied by hashtags (#ThankYouCampaign #ThankYouChallenge #ThankYouMedicalWorkers) as well as a message of hope. In a snowball system, the participants then nominated others to continue the meaningful relay. Recently, the campaign was expanded to show signs of support for the general public as well – as opposed to only medical workers and volunteers – as a sign of solidarity and harmony amongst the people during difficult times.

BASF Korea’s Representative Director Young-Yull Kim joined the campaign after being nominated by Hee Goo Jang, CEO of BASF’s customer KOLON Industries. In turn, Kim nominated Hyo Joon Kim, chairman of BMW Group Korea, Man Woo Lee, CEO of Dongsung Corporation, and Young Mi Kim, president of Henkel Korea to express their gratitude.  

“I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to the medical personnel fighting against the epidemic, as well as to everyone who has actively supported social distancing during these unprecedented times,” said Young-Yull Kim, Representative Director of BASF Korea. “Together with all our employees, BASF will do its part and continue to follow strict preventive measures to combat the virus.”

BASF Korea has continuously shown its support in fighting against COVID-19 and donated a total of 40 million KRW to the Red Cross Korea through an employee donation campaign in March. In addition, “Virtual Kids’ Lab”, an interactive platform of BASF’s hands-on chemistry program Kids’ Lab, has been used by local communities and schools as part of their online curriculum.

BASF has also contributed globally with its “Helping Hands” campaign. As one of several initiatives, BASF donated protective masks to the Federal Republic of Germany. BASF has also quickly repurposed facilities in Europe and the United States to produce hand sanitizers, which were then donated to local hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

About BASF in Korea

BASF has been a committed partner to Korea since 1954. As a leading foreign investor in the chemical industry in Korea, BASF operates eight world-scale production sites in the country. The company also maintains the regional headquarters of its Electronic Materials business and the Electronic Materials R&D Center Asia Pacific in Suwon. In addition, three technical development centers are located across Korea. In 2019, BASF posted sales of approximately €1.3 billion to customers in Korea and employed 1,142 employees as of the end of the year. Further information is available on the Internet at www.basf.com/kr.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.