"Education Infrastructure Support" KT&G Builds Elementary School in Nongkeo Area, Laos

Funds Raised Through Employee Donations... Second School Established in Nongkeo Following Kampane

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] KT&G announced on the 5th that it built an elementary school in the Nongkheow area of Vientiane City, Laos, in collaboration with the nonprofit Nanum Culture and Arts Association, and held a completion ceremony.

KT&G has been promoting the construction of an elementary school in the Nongkheow area since November last year to support educational infrastructure in Laos, and completed the school about one year after groundbreaking. The old and poor school building was reborn as an educational facility equipped with six classrooms, a multipurpose room, a teachers' office, and four restrooms. In addition, equipment such as computers, fans, desks and chairs, and musical instruments were provided in the classrooms and multipurpose room, and a soccer field was created outdoors.

The entire cost of building the school was covered by the 'Sangsang Fund,' which was raised through voluntary donations from KT&G employees. The Sangsang Fund is KT&G's social contribution fund launched in 2011. Employees voluntarily donate a certain amount of their monthly salary, and the company matches the same amount in a 'matching grant' format. The fund is used to support underprivileged groups domestically and internationally and to address urgent social issues. In August, KT&G dispatched an employee volunteer group to the Nongkheow area in Laos, where employees directly helped build the elementary school. Previously, in 2019, KT&G built an elementary school in the Kampane area of Savannakhet Province, Laos.

Lee Sang-hak, Head of KT&G's Sustainability Management Division, said, "We hope that the construction of the elementary school in the Nongkheow area will contribute even a little to nurturing future generations and improving the educational environment in Laos," and added, "We will continue to actively participate in solving social issues in countries in need with the attitude of a global corporate citizen."