KT&G Receives Presidential Citation for '2022 Job Creation Contribution'

KT&G received the Presidential Citation at the '2022 Job Creation Merit Government Awards' ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 12th. Kim Seong-ho, Director of Employment Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor (center), Lee Sang-hak, Head of KT&G Sustainable Management Division (right), and Lee Jong-hoon, Head of KT&G Social Contribution Department (left), are posing for a commemorative photo after the award. Photo by Kim Seong-ho

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] KT&G announced on the 13th that it received the Presidential Citation at the ‘2022 Job Creation Merit Government Awards’ ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 12th.

This award ceremony was organized to honor individuals or organizations that played a leading role in creating good jobs and promoting youth employment. KT&G was recognized for its contributions in youth employment creation and operation of employment support programs, receiving the highest award among private companies in the youth employment promotion category. To date, over 21,000 young people and university students have been supported through KT&G’s startup and employment programs.

Since 2004, starting with the ‘Asia University Students Startup Exchange Exhibition,’ KT&G has expanded its support to various fields including vocational training for at-risk youth and practical employment and startup programs for university students to provide opportunities such as work experience and entrepreneurship that young people desire. In 2017, KT&G launched the social venture incubation program ‘Sangsang Startup Camp’ to create jobs and social value through youth startups, producing 112 teams so far, achieving employment effects for 831 people and cumulative sales of 21.1 billion KRW.

Efforts to revitalize the youth startup ecosystem continue. To help establish a stable foundation for early-stage young entrepreneurs, KT&G opened the social venture dedicated space ‘KT&G Sangsang Planet’ in 2020, providing practical business coaching, networking activation, and capacity-building programs. KT&G also participates in the ‘Youth Leap Project’ membership hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, taking the lead in solving youth employment issues through collaboration between government and companies.

A KT&G official stated, “This award has become an opportunity to recognize our sincere efforts in supporting youth startups and creating new employment,” adding, “We will continue to take the lead in creating good jobs and strive to provide more opportunities for young people.”