Samsung, LG to offer free home appliance repairs in disaster zones

The Ministry of Interior and Safety said Monday it will sign a memorandum of understanding with Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics on Tuesday to provide free home appliance repair support in disaster-affected areas.

The agreement revises an MOU the ministry signed with the two companies in July 2021, expanding the scope of support from natural disasters alone to social disasters declared as special disaster zones — a change reflecting the growing frequency and complexity of climate-related and compound disasters.

Under the revised MOU, the two companies will prioritize repairs of flood-damaged appliances following typhoons and heavy rains, and focus on appliances that have been completely burned or heat-deformed in the event of a social disaster.

Both companies will conduct emergency inspections and cleaning first, centering on devices critical to disaster victims' daily lives and communication — such as mobile phones. For all home appliances, labor costs for replacing key components such as motors and circuit boards will be covered in full, with discounts applied to parts costs.

Repair requests can be submitted through joint free-repair booths set up at disaster sites. For large appliances that are difficult to bring to a booth, residents may request a visit from an individual repair team.

"Large-scale wildfires, fires and other forms of social disaster are occurring frequently, not just natural disasters," said Kim Gwang-yong, head of the Ministry of Interior and Safety's Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters. "We will use this cooperation framework in the home appliance sector as a springboard to broaden the range of support in diverse ways."