KT&G (CEO Bang Kyeong-man) was selected as an Excellent ESG Corporation in the youth recruitment category at the ‘Youth Take Off Membership Conference’ jointly hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Enterprises Federation on the 28th.

The ‘Youth Take Off Membership’ is a private-public cooperative project sponsored by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Enterprises Federation to identify companies that offer excellent youth recruitment activities to support their program operations and promotions. KT&G joined the membership in November 2021 and has strengthened its competitive edge to support the youth.

Held in JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square, the event delivered membership certificates to new members of the project and plaques for excellent members. KT&G was recognized for its consistent efforts in youth support projects, such as the development of entrepreneurs for social innovations. 

Since 2017, KT&G has been operating the ‘Sangsang Startup Camp’ for 8 years to nurture entrepreneurs who can make a difference in society with their innovations by solving social issues with their business practices. Through this program, the company was able to give birth to a total of 169 startup teams, reaping a total sales of KRW 44.2 billion. In particular, the 8th season of Sangsang Startup Camp, which ran this year, attracted a total of KRW 2.7 billion in investment, proving its growth potential as a social innovation enterprise.

KT&G also opened ‘Sangsang Planet,’ a youth business startup space at the ‘Social Venture Valley’ in Seongsu-dong in 2020. Sangsang Planet offers customized training and mentoring to strengthen entrepreneurs’ hands-on business capabilities and exchange programs between in-house companies, solidifying itself as the mecca of the youth business startup. 

Shim Yeong-ah, the head of the ESG Management Division of KT&G, said, “We are providing practical support so that young entrepreneurs can turn their innovative ideas into actual businesses,” also commenting that “We will continue to provide wholehearted support to the growing social innovation startup companies to vitalize the startup ecosystem and create jobs.”

(Photo description) KT&G (CEO Bang Kyeong-man) was selected as an Excellent ESG Corporation in the youth recruitment category at the ‘Youth Take Off Membership Conference.’ The image shows Shim Yeong-ah, the head of the ESG Management Division of KT&G (center), receiving the plaque and taking a celebratory picture with Kim Mun-su, the Minister of Employment and Labor (left), and Son Kyeong-sik, the President of the Korea Enterprises Federation (right).