Jeong Donghee, KTL Director, Returns 30% of Salary to Share COVID-19 Burden

10 Headquarters Chiefs Donate 20 Million KRW Each, Over 42 Million KRW from General Employees in Donations

A sisterhood agreement ceremony between Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL) and Jinju Jungang Market and Jinju Fruit and Vegetable Market. (Photo by Korea Testing Laboratory)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), the only public comprehensive testing and certification institution in Korea, announced on the 6th that it will participate in salary donations to revitalize the economy, which has been weakened by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and to overcome the damage.

Jung Donghee, President of KTL, decided to donate 30% of his salary for four months. Ten department heads donated a total of 20 million KRW, and general employees voluntarily donated a total of about 42 million KRW.

The donations will be delivered to donation centers in Jinju, Gyeongnam, Seoul’s Guro-gu, and Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, where KTL’s main business sites are located. The funds will be used to help small and venture businesses, micro small business owners, and socially vulnerable groups in these regions overcome the COVID-19 damage amid a sharp decline in sales.

KTL executives and employees said, "In this serious time of COVID-19, sharing the pain with the people is the natural duty of a public institution," and added, "We hope that this relay participation will help overcome the COVID-19 crisis even a little."

They also added, "We hope that a message of hope will be conveyed that if everyone works together, we can definitely overcome difficulties."

Meanwhile, besides fundraising, KTL has been actively supporting flower farmers struggling due to COVID-19 and promoting coexistence with local traditional markets since last month.

On the 23rd of last month, KTL signed a sisterhood agreement with the Jinju Agricultural Market and Jinju Central Market Merchants Association, which have been depressed due to COVID-19, and purchased 600 kg of strawberries and cherry tomatoes to deliver to COVID-19 screening clinics and local facilities for people with severe disabilities in the Jinju area.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.