Merck Korea (CEO Dr. Woo-Kyu Kim), the Korean branch of leading science and technology company Merck, is taking the lead in ESG by providing comprehensive semiconductor knowledge centered on semiconductors, CMP, and thin film processes, OLED classes, introduction to advanced corporate culture, and capacity building guidance for employment at foreign-invested companies to technical high schools and universities in Gyeonggi Province.

Merck announced on the 17th that it has begun supporting semiconductor display-related technical education for students majoring in related fields at technical high schools and universities in Gyeonggi Province, which was announced as part of the ESG program during the investment agreement with Gyeonggi Province in April.

For students at Korea University of Welfare and Anjung High School, we plan to provide four online and offline on-site training sessions on general semiconductor knowledge, focusing on semiconductors, CMP, and thin film processes, as well as theoretical and practical manufacturing processes, including OLED manufacturing processes.

The first training was conducted online on the 16th for 50 students in the AI Semiconductor Convergence Department at Korea University of Welfare.

In the second half of the year, we plan to provide training to students in the electronics department of Anjung High School, and we are currently in discussions with additional schools to expand the training program in the future.

Gyeonggi-do and Merck To foster continued talent development in the semiconductor and display industries, we plan to promote mutual cooperation and encourage employment of students from technical schools in Gyeonggi Province at foreign-invested companies.

Merck will also host the 2021 KIDS Children's School on August 5th in collaboration with the Korea Information of Display Association (KIDS).

This program is an eye-level educational program that explains to children about displays, a core technology of the non-face-to-face, information age, such as TVs, cell phones, laptops, and tablets. It also aims to strengthen social responsibility by expanding educational opportunities, including special registration for socially vulnerable groups.

Registration is free, and online applications can be submitted in early July through the Korea Information Display Society (www.k-dis.or.kr). Participants who participate in the entire program will receive a certificate of completion. Further details will be shared on the Merck and Korea Information Display Society websites and social media channels.

Woo-Kyu Kim, CEO of Merck Korea, said, “Merck’s electronics business will continue to support Korean customers based in Gyeonggi Province, a hub for semiconductor and display research and manufacturing. We will grow together for our customers’ success and ensure timely, stable, and sustainable product development and supply.” He added, “In 2020, we will fulfill our corporate social responsibility by fostering talent through various collaborations, including providing digital education for children from multicultural families in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, to support the Merck Group’s values of Diversity & Inclusion.”

Meanwhile, Merck Electronics is one of the business sectors of the German company Merck with 353 years of history, and is responsible for research and manufacturing of semiconductor and display materials worldwide. In Korea, the company employs approximately 900 people in seven research and manufacturing facilities, six in Pyeongtaek, Anseong, Ansan, Sihwa, and Banwol in Gyeonggi Province, and one in Ulsan.

Since entering the Korean market in 1989, Merck Korea has achieved remarkable growth in the display and semiconductor sectors over the past 32 years. In addition to electronics, the company has become a global leader in life sciences and healthcare, achieving KRW 1.8 trillion (€1.35 billion) in sales in Korea in 2020. Currently, the company employs over 1,350 people across 11 sites in Korea.