KT&G (President Bang Kyung-man) announced on Apr. 14 that it has provided donations and organized volunteer activities to help tobacco leaf farmers affected by recent wildfires in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

Seventeen farms in the area were selected as beneficiaries for this support initiative, and donations will be distributed to each farm based on the scale of the damage incurred. In addition,

a volunteer group made up of employees from KT&G’s Raw Materials Division and the Gimcheon Plant visited a farm in Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. There, they transplanted 18,000 tobacco seedlings across approximately 10,000 square meters of farmland.

Transplanting seedlings is a critical step that determines the success of a tobacco leaf harvest. As it is mostly done manually, it requires a large amount of labor. This year, in addition to wildfire damage, tobacco leaf farmers are also facing labor shortages and financial hardship. KT&G’s swift support has helped accelerate recovery efforts.

Previously, KT&G provided emergency financial aid of ₩500 million to assist residents in wildfire-declared disaster areas such as Uiseong in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Sancheong and Hadong in Gyeongsangnam-do, as well as Ulju and Ulsan. KT&G's subsidiary Korea Ginseng Corporation (KGC) has also pledged its support for national disaster relief efforts by donating ₩100 million worth of JungKwanJang Korean Red Ginseng products to affected residents.

KT&G Director of Supply Chain Management Jeong Seong-heon stated, “We hope this support will help tobacco leaf farmers recover from the hardships due the wildfires.” He added, “KT&G will continue to make every effort to support the sustainable well-being of farmers.”

Since 2007, KT&G has been conducting volunteer activities for tobacco leaf farmers for 19 consecutive years and has been involved in various welfare support programs. Last year, the company provided health check-up support for tobacco growers, scholarships for their children, and fuel-saving devices for drying facilities.