Key Summary
- KT&G received a ministerial award at the 2026 Leisure-Friendly Management certification ceremony organized by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
- The company had first earned the certification in 2016 and has continued to be recertified since then.
- KT&G said it supports employee leisure through measures such as hourly leave use, club support, an in-house library, and internal e-sports tournaments.
- The company said its family-friendly programs include an automatic parental leave system and a long-running family event initiative.
Main Story
KT&G said on the 10th that it received a minister’s award on the 9th at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s 2026 certification ceremony for leisure-friendly management companies and organizations.
The award program recognizes companies and institutions that support a healthy balance between work and leisure and contribute to the spread of leisure culture. KT&G said this was the first time it had received the ministerial prize.
The company said it has been certified as a leisure-friendly organization since first receiving the designation in 2016 and has maintained that status through renewals. According to KT&G, its workplace policies include leave that can be taken by the hour, support for employee clubs, operation of an in-house library, and e-sports tournaments inside the company.
KT&G also said it introduced an automatic parental leave system in 2015, under which maternity leave is automatically converted to parental leave upon childbirth without a separate application. In addition, the company said it has run a family-oriented program called “Gahwa Manseong” for 10 years, including events for employees and their families to take photos together.
Baek Soo-min, head of KT&G’s sustainability division, said the award recognized the company’s management philosophy that balancing work and leisure helps employees deepen their engagement and grow.
Background
The supplied text states that the certification and awards are designed to identify companies and organizations that help balance work and leisure and expand leisure culture. No additional background was provided.
Items Requiring Further Verification
- The article attributes the quoted statement to Baek Soo-min, head of KT&G’s sustainability division; the quote itself is reported and should be independently confirmed if used in publication.
- The claim that KT&G has maintained certification continuously since 2016 is presented by the company and was not independently substantiated in the text.
- The description of the company’s internal programs and policies comes from the article and would benefit from external verification.