KT&G and its employees raised contributions, Sangsang Fund, to donate Korean flags to Soan-do, a stronghold of resistance against the Japanese empire.
- Since three years ago, KT&G has donated in total 1,600 Korean flags to lead patriotism.

Ahead of the anniversary of the Independence Movement of March lst, 1919, KT&G(CEO Min Young-Jin) and its employees raised social contribution funds, “Sangsang Fund”, to donate 600 Korean flags to Soan-do, an island in southern Jeolla Province, which was the headquarter of the Koreans’ anti-colonial movement.

Every year since 2013, KT&G has been donating Korean flags – 1,600 in total. The donation was first suggested by an employee saying that the national flags hoisted in Soan Island wears out in three-to-four months because of the strong sea winds.

Soan-do is a little island in Wando-gun, Jeolla Province, with a population of 2,700, but it has given birth to 89 independence activists, the largest number in the country. Since 2012, it has become the “Taegeukgi (the korean national flag) Village”, and 1,361 households are hoisting the national flag 365 days a year.

Jee Hyo-suck, the chief of social contribution department, said he was glad that the employees and KT&G could support for a good cause through Sangsang Fund, and that they would further expand Taegeukgi donation to create an opportunity to remind people of patriotism.

Sangsang Funs is KT&G’s own social contribution fund to which employees voluntarily donate part of their salaries and the company would match the same amount to the fund. In addition, every hour of the employees’ voluntary service would be exchanged into KRW 10,000, and the company would donate equal amount of money to the fund. The size of the fund is around KRW 3.5 billion this year. Apart from Taegeukgi donation, KT&G is also upholding patriotism by renovating the homes of impoverished Korean patriots and veterans, a program called “Love for Korea Home”.