"Intellectual Property Rights Increase by 51%"... KT&G Receives Minister of Industry Award on Inventors' Day

Major 5 Countries' Patents Double
"E-cigarette Technology Innovation Achievements"

KT&G announced on the 22nd that it received a Commendation from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy at the 59th Invention Day Ceremony.

The Invention Day Ceremony, hosted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office and organized by the Korea Invention Promotion Association, is an event that awards inventors (individuals and organizations) who have contributed to the development of national industry through inventions. KT&G was recognized for its efforts in enhancing competitiveness and strengthening its international status based on securing intellectual property rights (IP) domestically and internationally and technological innovation.

Im Wang-seop, Head of KT&G NGP (Electronic Cigarette) Business Division (right), is posing for a commemorative photo holding the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Commendation at the 59th Invention Day Ceremony.
[Photo by KT&G]

Previously, KT&G established a dedicated organization for intellectual property rights in 2016 and built a specialized computerized system in 2018 to effectively manage all of the company’s intellectual property rights. The total number of intellectual property applications filed by the group, which was 2,250 in 2021, grew by approximately 51% to 3,392 last year in just two years. During the same period, overseas intellectual property applications increased from 1,744 to 2,679. Patent applications to the five major global countries (IP5: Korea, the United States, Europe, Japan, China) reached 1,079 last year, nearly doubling compared to 546 in 2021.

Based on this, KT&G has strengthened its domestic market leadership by launching the electronic cigarette "lil," which applies proprietary innovative technology. In the first quarter of this year, the quantity, sales, and operating profit of domestic and overseas electronic cigarette (NGP) sticks all increased compared to the same period last year.

Im Wang-seop, Head of KT&G’s NGP Business Division, stated, "Technological innovation and intellectual property management are core competencies for corporate value growth. We will continue to lead the future growth of the domestic and international NGP business based on proprietary innovative technology and contribute to the development of the national industry."