KT&G strengthens support for Indonesian college students in light of the 50th anniversary of Indonesia-Korea diplomatic relations

• Engaged in various CSR activities in October, with emphasis on support for college students
• Comprehensive CSR initiatives: Nurturing youth entrepreneurship and enriching college students' cultural experience

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KT&G, a global company headquartered in South Korea, carried out various CSR activities in Indonesia in October to further celebrate the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and South Korea.

Since 2017, KT&G has been running 'SangSang Univ.', a social contribution channel and extracurricular community for college students centered in Jakarta. Under the SangSang Univ. program, KT&G opened 'Univ. Zone' at two colleges in Jakarta to help capacity building of college students. 'Univ. Zone' is a community center for college students that offers various cultural programs and educational classes for free. KT&G has also been running CSR platforms, such as Korean Language Center and Vocational Training Center, enabling the company to provide sustainable support for college students.

KT&G's efforts to increase support for Indonesian college students were prominently displayed throughout the month of October as this year marks the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Korea.

First, KT&G hosted 'SangSang Festa' on October 27^th, a festival in which college students could experience diverse cultural programs and interact with each other freely. The event was held at UNJ and featured different programs, including live performance by popular singer Brisia Jodie and vocal and dance performances by those who took K-Pop vocal and dance lessons from SangSang Univ. classes. Korean culture booths, offering opportunities to experience traditional Korean games, were also set up. The festival attracted over 1,000 participants, leading to the success of the event.

KT&G also held 'IR Pitching Day' for college students aspiring to become entrepreneurs on October 28^th at UNTAR University in Jakarta. The IR Pitching Day was part of the entrepreneurship program called 'SangSang Startup School' KT&G held for college students over the past few months. 15 teams were selected from SangSang Startup School to participate in the final pitching round, after going through startup idea competition, entrepreneurship education, and mentoring sessions. These 15 teams presented their own startup ideas under the theme of 'environment protection, revitalizing local economy, overcoming educational inequality' at IR Pitching Day and received feedback from real-life entrepreneurs. Cash prizes and gifts were also handed. 47 million Rupiah scholarship was granted to the highest ranking team.

KT&G hosted entrepreneurship competition for Indonesian college students last year as well. Last year's competition took place under the theme of 'revitalizing the local economy by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises'. Scholarships were granted to the finalists of five teams.

KT&G has been operating a local subsidiary in Indonesia from 2011 and since then, the company has actively engaged in various social contribution activities, contributing to the development of local communities in Indonesia. As this year marks the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Indonesia, the company has placed a strong emphasis on initiatives aiming at strengthening friendship between the two countries. KT&G dispatched a group of Korean college student volunteers to Indonesia in July, where they helped rebuild an elementary school in Bogor region for ten days. In September, KT&G held a joint Indonesian-Korean plogging (a combination of jogging and trash pick-up) event at the GBK Stadium area in Jakarta, which attracted over 1,000 participants.

"KT&G, employing approximately 4,400 employees in Indonesia, is actively engaged in job creation for the local community as we hire 99% of our employees from locals. We will continue our steadfast social contribution activities in Indonesia and keep nurturing future generations of the country," said Young Ah Shim, head of KT&G Social Contribution Office.