Members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, or AMCHAM Korea, held more than 19 corporate social responsibility events or activities during the first quarter of 2012.

The events help companies give back to the local community, and the chamber says in its official publication that it is a cornerstone of AMCHAM membership.

Many of the programs helped benefit local students or the underprivileged.

PPG Industries Korea offered scholarships for eight female Korean students majoring in chemistry at Pusan National University. The scholarships cover 50 percent of tuition costs for the second semester of 2011 and the first semester of 2012.

The Korean branch of the U.S.-based company, which specializes in coatings, chemicals and specialty products, plans to offer more scholarships in the future to encourage female talent in the sciences.

GM Korea also offered financial support for local students. Through the GM Korea Employee Foundation, the automobile giant announced in late January that it would organize and fund special educational programs for more than 200 elementary school students in Korea. Selected students are those who show an aptitude for math and science but come from difficult social backgrounds.

Some AMCHAM-affiliated companies continued their tradition of giving back to the local community via CSR, and received special recognition from local non-governmental organizations or the Korean government for their work.

Award recipients included the Korean branch of the global health care firm Baxter Incorporated, which received a gold medal award from the Korean Red Cross for services to the community on Jan. 19.

Other CSR events held during the first three months of this year included a bazaar by three affiliates of BNP Paribas in Korea and a mobile dental care program by LINA Korea, the chamber said.

By Renee  Park (renee@heraldcorp.com)