▶KT&G Welfare Center will build a forestry and agriculture education center to train reforestation professionals to prevent the desertification in Mongolia and to help to relieve international environment issues. The foundation signed an MOU with the Mongolian government (photo). From left, Kichool Oh, secretary general of Green Asia, M. Tungala, director of forestry policy, ministry of environment of Mongolia, and Jihyung Kang, secretary general of KT&G Welfare Center.

KT&G Welfare Foundation will establish forestry and agriculture education center in Mongolia to relieve international environmental problems.

In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the Foundation said on June 27 that it signed an MOU for the establishment of forestry and agriculture education center. Jihyung Kang, secretary general of the Foundation and M. Tungalag, director of forestry policy, ministry of environment of Mongolia attended the ceremony.

The Education Center will be built in Ulaanbaatar, capital city of Mongolia for professional manpower training of reforestation. Farming experience center as well as education facility will be provided for practical research activities.

Forestry and agriculture professionals from the Education Center are to be dispatched to all over the Mongolia to prevent desertification and restoration of ecological system by creating forest. Fruit trees will be cultivated as a long-term income generating source for farmers to improve the agriculture industry of Mongolia.

A related person of KT&G Welfare Center said, “the establishment of the Education Center is a global social responsibility activity in accord with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in terms of agriculture improvement, quality education, job creation and environment protection. The activity will prevent the desertification of Mongolia and also improve the air quality of Korea by reducing yellow dust which may fly to Korea.”

KT&G ranks the fifth largest tobacco company with increased exports after privatization and has provided a diversified social responsibility activities all over the world. The company dispatched volunteer groups over 30 times to Cambodia which suffered from civil wars and also rebuilt 40 houses of low income households in Indonesia. In Mongolia, medical service team made of renowned Korean medical doctors has provided free medical service to improve the quality of medical service since 2009.