SM's 10 Years of Social Contribution... Creating Social Value through 'Future Generation Development and Environmental Protection' Shines Bright

SM Social Contribution Brand 'SMile'
Support Scale of 7 Billion KRW Over the Past 10 Years
90,000 Beneficiaries, Creating Approximately 9.3 Billion KRW in Social Value

SM Entertainment has published an online 'Social Contribution White Paper' detailing the social contribution activities and achievements it has pursued over the past decade. Since launching its social contribution brand 'SMile' in 2014, SM has continuously engaged in sharing activities, and this is the first time it has released a social contribution white paper.

According to SM on the 23rd, the company has carried out various sharing activities and social contribution efforts under the vision of "a miraculous future where everyone can laugh freely," focusing on nurturing future generations, contributing to local communities, and protecting the global environment. As a result, it has created social value worth approximately 9.3 billion KRW benefiting 90,000 people in Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The newly released social contribution white paper includes diverse activities such as ▲support for children and youth ▲community contribution ▲environmental protection efforts.

'SMile Music Festival' 10th Anniversary... Participant Satisfaction Score 4.82 out of 5.0

'SMile Music Festival' is SM's representative social contribution activity for youth nurturing their dreams through music. It began in 2015 to support culturally marginalized youth and has continued for 10 years.

SM utilizes its core competencies and infrastructure to provide cultural and artistic experiences to participating youth, conducting all processes from recruitment to the final performance with experts in each field. About 10 teams composed of youth aged 14 to 19 interested in music genres such as vocal, dance, and band are selected and receive approximately four months of professional training and mentoring. Selected teams perform in the final concert after receiving mentoring from SM artists and systematic training from professional trainers.

Over the past 10 years, a total of 98 teams have participated in the 'SMile Music Festival,' including 40 dance teams, 22 bands, 20 vocal teams, and 16 choirs. During this period, the total number of songs performed on stage was 135, and the total hours spent learning dance, vocals, and instruments reached 1,712 hours. Based on this, the satisfaction score of 'SMile Music Festival' participants was 4.82 out of 5.0 according to survey results.

Partnership with UNICEF Korea Committee... 'SMile for U' Campaign

'SMile for U' is a campaign launched in November 2015 through a social contribution agreement with the UNICEF Korea Committee to provide integrated music education for children in Asia. It is being promoted under the goal of "Growing with music," ensuring that all children, especially ethnic minorities and children with disabilities in Vietnam, can receive free and equitable quality education.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Education has approved the music curriculum of the SMile for U campaign as part of the educational program and plays a crucial role in spreading music education to local communities and homes by hosting workshops and instructor training for local government officials, teachers, and education stakeholders. Teachers and officials who have acquired the music curriculum through these workshops provide music education to children and families through their respective local schools and integrated education centers.

Through the SMile for U campaign, SM has integrally supported the growth of content, spaces, and people, producing a music education manual approved by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training to effectively expand music education. It has developed teacher training, educational materials, and guidelines for instructors. Additionally, to popularize music education within communities and enable everyone to enjoy music, SM has installed music rooms in schools and integrated education centers and provided musical instruments and teaching aids.

SM participates in music education training for general teachers, improving music rooms, providing instruments, and developing step-by-step guidelines. Since last year, the campaign has expanded to the Philippines, conducting music education for children in two cities and three provinces. So far, a total of 28,665 children and youth have participated in the SMile for U campaign's music education, with 97 schools and centers involved, totaling 15,512 hours of education, and approximately 4,800 participating teachers and instructors.

SM has also actively supported children and youth in blind spots. It supports the social welfare corporation 'Hamkke Geodneun Aideul' and the cultural arts project for children and youth in culturally marginalized areas, Allkidstra. Since 2022, SM has sponsored Allkidstra's regular concerts.

Exploring Sustainable Album and MD Production

SM continues its efforts to address environmental issues related to album production. Since 2022, SM has been producing albums and MDs using sustainable materials. Albums are made from paper sourced from sustainably managed forests, and the number of album titles using such materials increased from four in 2022 to 21 last year. Additionally, SM uses soy-based ink and UV coating materials that emit no volatile organic compounds for albums and MDs.

As one measure to reduce waste from albums, SM has removed album advertising inserts that previously delivered information about auditions, travel products, coupons, and other services. Instead, such information is now provided through SM's official website and social media channels.

SM also collected banners used at artist concerts to create upcycled tumbler bags distributed to employees. After concerts, banners are collected, washed, cut, and sewn into tumbler bags that can carry tumblers and other accessories. This initiative was part of SM's participation in environmental protection activities on Earth Day. SM plans to continue producing upcycled products.

Active participation and activities of SM artists have also been remarkable. Over the past 10 years, 1,923 artists (including multiple participations) have engaged in public interest activities, supporting various fields such as child and youth support, cultural arts social welfare charity, and emergency disaster relief.

SM stated, "Over the past 10 years, we have carried out various sharing activities under the banner of nurturing future generations, contributing to local communities, and protecting the global environment. We will continue to strive to open a future where everyone can laugh together through culture."