Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim, third from left, poses with the participants of the company's donation program, Nanum Store (sharing store), during an agreement signing ceremony at the company's headquarters in Incheon, Monday. Second from left are Samsung Biologics labor union head Park Jae-sung, Rim and Rep. Chung Il-young of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

Samsung Biologics' workers and management jointly launched a donation program in affiliation with stores and restaurants in the biotech's home city of Incheon, the company said Monday.

Samsung Biologics held an agreement signing ceremony at its headquarters in Incheon, marking the official launch of the program, called Nanum Store (sharing store).

The program was initiated following a proposal from the labor union to create a community-focused donation program, with management working alongside the union to develop it.

When Samsung Biologics employees make purchases at participating local stores, the stores allocate 5 to 15 percent of the transaction amount as donations. A total of 20 local stores and restaurants are participating in the program.

Donations accumulated through the program will be funding Save the Children or the Incheon Social Welfare Council on a quarterly basis. These donations are used to support children and youth in Incheon, including those requiring long-term medical care or those facing financial hardships while pursuing their education.

Samsung Biologics said this program, participated by both large businesses and small stores, will be able to make its contributions to supporting children and boosting the local economy.

Along with the latest program, the company said it is running a number of donation programs to share the joy of contributing among its young employees.

Since last year, Samsung Biologics has been running the Nanum Photo Booth, where employees can take selfies by donating 1,000 won. The company also runs Nanum Kiosk to help employees easily make financial donations by tagging their ID cards. More than 10,000 donations are made through the kiosks.

“We express our deep gratitude to the local shops and restaurants that joined the Nanum store program,” Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim said. “We will double our efforts to support neighbors in need based on our cooperative spirit between labor and management and our mission as a biotech dedicated to saving lives.”

Samsung Biologics labor union head Park Jae-sung said the program pursues mutual growth with the local community based on the cooperation between the union and the company, adding that “we will realize our vision of creating a sustainable future by fostering shared values and strengthening collaboration.”