Jungjingong Receives Presidential Citation in ESG Management Category at National Quality Innovation Awards

First Award in ESG Management Category at the 48th National Quality Management Conference

Woo Young-hwan, Vice President of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, is taking a commemorative photo after receiving the Presidential Citation at the 48th National Quality Management Convention.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] The Small and Medium Business Corporation (Chairman Kim Hak-do, hereinafter referred to as SBC) announced on the 25th that it received the Presidential Citation in the ESG Management category of the National Quality Innovation Award at the 48th National Quality Management Conference held at KINTEX in Ilsan on the 23rd.

The National Quality Management Conference is an event hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the National Institute of Technology and Standards, and organized by the Korea Standards Association. In response to the growing global importance of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) management, the existing Social Value Creation category was reorganized into the ESG Management category starting this year.

This time, SBC was recognized for its efforts to further strengthen exemplary ESG management as a public institution after the COVID-19 pandemic and actively support the ESG management transition of small and medium venture enterprises, receiving the Presidential Citation.

Specifically, SBC developed and operated an ESG self-diagnosis system, enhanced corporate awareness through the publication of an ESG management guidebook tailored for small businesses, expanded facility support through Net-Zero policy funds, and established a customized support system including carbon neutrality consulting. The launch of the ESG public-private council to strengthen collaboration among more than 30 institutions was also highly evaluated.

Furthermore, SBC incorporated ESG management into its mid- to long-term management strategy system and established organizational foundations such as the ESG Management Committee. Since issuing ESG bonds in 2019, the cumulative issuance amount has reached 18.7 trillion KRW, contributing to the development of the domestic ESG bond market, which was also recognized.

Kim Hak-do, Chairman of SBC, stated, "As domestic and international ESG-related laws begin to be enacted, ESG management implementation is becoming a necessity not only for large corporations but also for small and medium venture enterprises that play a role in their supply chains. Going forward, SBC will continue to strengthen customized support for companies’ successful ESG management transitions."