KT&G (President Baek Bok-In) received the Presidential Commendation, the grand prize at the '2023 Maecenas Award' ceremony, held on the 22nd at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Organized by the Maecenas Association and initiated in 1999, the Maecenas Award annually recognizes a domestic company that has made the greatest contribution to the field of culture and arts. KT&G was awarded for the second time, following its first in 2015, acknowledged for its efforts in nurturing cultural artists and community co-prosperity through 'KT&G Sangsangmadang', its multi-cultural and artistic spaces located in five regions nationwide.

Through Sangsangmadang, KT&G supports the creative activities of emerging artists and provides the public with a wide range of cultural experiences including performances, art, photography, and film. Starting as an online channel in 2005, Sangsangmadang opened 'Sangsangmadang Hongdae' in 2007 and now operates in five locations, including Nonsan, Chuncheon, Daechi, and Busan. It attracts about 2 million visitors annually and hosts approximately 3,000 cultural and artistic programs each year.

KT&G continues its co-prosperity efforts with the local community, using Sangsangmadang as a base. Sangsangmadang Nonsan operates the 'Nolbit Market', a representative program for regional co-prosperity, featuring culture and arts performances, exhibitions, and collaborations with Nonsan's small business owners. Additionally, Sangsangmadang Busan regularly hosts a flea market program, 'Sangsang Market', which is held monthly, further fostering a connection between culture and arts and community co-prosperity.

The five Sangsangmadang locations nationwide surpassed 20 million cumulative visitors in September. This achievement is a result of the successful establishment of Sangsangmadang Hongdae and the nationwide expansion of multi-cultural and artistic spaces, reinforcing their role as a culture and arts support platform.

In addition, KT&G is engaging in distinctive Maecenas activities through its foundations, besides Sangsangmadang. Since 2016, the KT&G Scholarship Foundation has been running the 'Culture and Arts Scholarship Program' in fields such as music, ballet, traditional arts, and fine arts to nurture promising artistic talents.

Through this Culture and Arts Scholarship Program, pianist Lim Yun-Chan, who was supported as a culture and arts scholarship recipient for three years starting from 2017, achieved notable success, including becoming the youngest-ever winner of the 'Van Cliburn International Piano Competition'. Moreover, since 2018, the KT&G Welfare Foundation has been operating 'Over the Rainbow', a program for discovering and supporting disabled artists nationwide."

A KT&G official stated, “Winning the Maecenas Award is a recognition of our extensive Maecenas activities based on the nationwide Sangsangmadang and our efforts for co-prosperity with the local community. We will continue to contribute to the cultivation of emerging artists and the expansion of cultural bases, thereby creating social value.

(Photo Description 1) KT&G (President Baek Bok-In) won the Presidential Commendation at the '2023 Maecenas Award' ceremony organized by the Korea Maecenas Association. The photo shows Lee Sang-hak, KT&G's Head of Sustainable Management (Vice President, right), and Lee Eun-bok, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Director of Art Policy (center), taking a commemorative photo after the award.

(Photo Description 2) KT&G (President Baek Bok-In) received the Presidential Commendation at the '2023 Maecenas Award' ceremony organized by the Korea Maecenas Association. The photo captures Lee Sang-hak, KT&G's Head of Sustainable Management (Vice President, fourth from left in the front row), award recipients, and officials taking a commemorative photo.