KT&G (CEO Baek Bok-in) held "The Debut" to present the achievements of the 5th cohort of graduates of the "Imagination Startup Camp", a project to support young startups.

"Imagination Startup Camp" is KT&G's youth startup support project that selects prospective entrepreneurs who want to solve social problems through business, and that provides them with 14 weeks of hands-on startup training courses. "The Debut" is a place to share participants’ performances after the end of the entire course and cheer for their initial forays as entrepreneurs. KT&G has been supporting social innovation startups by selecting 20 teams for the 5th cohort of the "Imagination Startup Camp" in December last year.

The Debut, held at the KT&G Imagination Planet in Seongsu-dong, Seoul on the 17th, announced the business models and achievements prepared by 10 teams. The five outstanding teams selected through fair review will receive free support for the "Imagination Planet" workspace for one year, and they will also receive benefits such as promotion of their business items.

In particular, the event separated the space into a total of three floors in preparation for COVID-19 protocols, and minimized the number of people gathered by making offline announcements and broadcasting live online. In addition, the company thoroughly followed the government's social distancing and quarantine rules to prevent infections.

A KT&G official said, "We have been endeavoring to find solutions for youth unemployment problems and create jobs. We will continue to support more young entrepreneurs and help them to stand on their own feet through the Imagination Startup Camp."

KT&G has been contributing to job creation for young people through 'Imagination Startup Camp'. Since its inception in 2017, the total sales achieved by all startups launched through the Camp amounts to about 10 billion won, with 31 of the startups joining the government-sponsored 'Social Enterprise Development Project'. In recognition of the excellence of such startup support programs, the company had been awarded a commendation from the Minister of Employment and Labor in 2019 for fostering social entrepreneurs.

(Photo 1) KT&G held "The Debut" to present the achievements of the 5th cohort of graduates of the "Imagination Startup Camp", a project to support young startups. 

Group photo of the graduates at the event, which was held at KT&G Imagination Planet in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, on March 17.

(Photo 2) KT&G held "The Debut" to present the achievements of the 5th cohort of graduates of the "Imagination Startup Camp", a project to support young startups. The photo shows a group of five teams selected as the Outstanding Team of "The Debut" at KT&G Imagination Planet in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, on March 17.