Kim In-gyu, President of HiteJinro's Beautiful Responsible Management

A Company Preparing for 100 Years to Fulfill Its Social Role
Practicing Ocean Care with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries... Beach Cleanup Activities

In-gyu Kim, President of HiteJinro

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] “We are pleased to participate in the Sea Care Project aimed at passing on a clean environment to future generations. HiteJinro will actively participate to fulfill its social role as a company preparing for the next 100 years.”

Kim In-gyu, CEO of HiteJinro, chose the sea as the stage to practice the company’s management value of sincere social contribution. The company decided to join the coastal management cleanup project ‘Sea Care’ implemented by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and to jointly carry out the pilot project, the first of its kind in Korea.

According to HiteJinro on the 21st, ‘Sea Care’ is a public-private cooperation project designed to solve marine litter problems through voluntary participation of companies. As part of the Sea Care project, HiteJinro will jointly conduct the ‘Companion Beach Project,’ the first pilot project in Korea, and engage in cleanup activities at Pyoseon Beach in Jeju Island. The ‘Companion Beach’ project allows companies and individuals interested in marine environmental protection to select and manage a beach, with Jeju Island chosen as the first pilot site this year.

Starting with cleanup activities at Pyoseon Beach in Jeju this year, HiteJinro plans to expand the Sea Care project next year by adding more companion beaches. To maintain Pyoseon Beach, trash bins will be installed along the shore, and employees, their families, and university student supporters will participate in beach cleanup activities. Additionally, public service advertisements with slogans such as “Thank you, Sea” and “I love you, Sea” will be displayed on the company’s product supplementary labels and commercial vehicles in Jeju. Public service ads will also be placed on logistics trucks of Jeju post offices and rental cars, with all advertising costs fully sponsored.

CEO Kim declared the company’s social contribution BI (Brand Identity) and slogan embodying the management philosophy of ‘Joy’ for the first time in the liquor industry in 2013. Under the slogan “A world where everyone is joyful and happy,” the company actively practices social contribution activities with the will to fulfill social responsibility and create harmony in society. They continue to support various social sectors on the path to becoming a 100-year company.

First, to contribute to creating jobs for youth who will lead the future, the company is actively involved in education and scholarship projects. The first project planned with public institutions to help low-income youth become independent and realize their dreams, called ‘Bbanggre,’ is showing good results. The bakery cafe ‘Bbanggre,’ opened in Changwon, Gyeongnam in May, has stabilized its management by achieving monthly sales of over 15 million KRW. CEO Kim’s goal is to educate low-income youth in Changwon in baking and barista skills and provide a foundation for independence by having them operate the cafe for a certain period. Based on the successful youth independence of the first Bbanggre store, HiteJinro plans to strengthen Bbanggre as a youth startup support model. Since the opening of Bbanggre, many local governments have offered proposals for second stores, and the company is planning projects that can coexist with various local governments. CEO Kim explained, “We plan to regularize projects like Bbanggre to change the paradigm of youth startup support.”

This summer, to prepare for the heatwave, the company delivered about 41,000 bottles of drinking water to homeless people and residents of small room villages. HiteJinro has signed a joint cooperation agreement with Seoul City for protection activities against cold waves and heatwaves for vulnerable housing groups and has been providing supplies and relief services for eight years since 2013.

Until recently, the company has also been practicing sharing management to support those facing difficulties in various fields due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first half of the year, it supported a total of 1.2 billion KRW, including 200,000 masks, 60,000 hand sanitizers, 319,000 bottles of drinking water and Black Barley for prevention and damage recovery for social welfare facilities, self-quarantined individuals, medical staff, and vulnerable groups in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, designated as special management areas. It also actively participated in the ‘Good Landlord Movement,’ fully exempting rent for four months from March to June for 17 locations owned by HiteJinro and leased to small business owners in Seoul, Busan, Gangwon, and Jeonju.