KT&G Rolls Up Sleeves to Help Indonesia Overcome COVID-19 Crisis

– KRW 150 Million Provided in Emergency Support Donations… Surgical Masks and Medical Oxygen Generators to be Supplied to Medical Sites

– Global company KT&G provides approx. KRW 600 million in social contributions over 2 years to help overcome the COVID-19 crisis

SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — KT&G, a global company headquartered in South Korea, donated a total of KRW 150 million to ‘Friends’, an international relief and development NGO, in August to help Indonesia overcome the COVID-19 crisis. With this donation, Friends will purchase 10 oxygen generators and a large quantity of KF94 masks made in Korea and deliver them to the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

Image of mask and oxygen generator to be provided to the medical field in Indonesia

Indonesia is currently experiencing great difficulties due to the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant. In July, the number of confirmed cases per day was around 50,000, and the daily death toll soared to more than 1,000 at that time. As a result, the share of beds for COVID-19 patients in major cities such as Jakarta exceeded 90%.

In particular, there has been a serious shortage of oxygen generators and medicines needed to treat patients available on medical sites. As of the end of August, the daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had dropped to 10,000, but hospitals still need help in a many areas.

Accordingly, KT&G decided to provide customized support for the medical field in Indonesia in order to fulfill its social responsibility as a company operating a business site in the country.

Previously, in May 2020, KT&G provided the Indonesian government with COVID-19 diagnostic kits worth KRW 100 million. The decision to provide such support was made considering the lack of basic medical equipment such as diagnostic kits and protective clothing due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 at the time.

KT&G procured diagnostic kits from Korea and sent them to Indonesia to help the local situation, and KT&G local subsidiary in Indonesia delivered the goods directly to the Indonesian government’s Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana – BNPB). The goods donated by KT&G were internationally recognized Korean-made COVID-19 diagnostic kits, capable of diagnosing 6,300 persons.

In addition, we are contributing to overcoming the crisis through a campaign to support Indonesian medical staff, donation of Korean red ginseng, and establishment of a vocational training center to support self-reliance among local vulnerable groups. KT&G has donated a total of KRW 610 million for social contribution projects from the beginning of last year to the present to help Indonesia overcome the COVID-19 crisis.

Jaeyoung Cho, Chief of Global Headquarter of KT&G said, "Considering the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant in Indonesia, we have decided to provide oxygen generators and masks necessary for medical sites." He added, "I hope that this will be helpful for the people of Indonesia, who have maintained friendly relations with Korea for a long time."

Meanwhile, KT&G is the world’s fifth-largest global company in terms of cigarette market share and sales volume. Even since the Korean tobacco market was opened up to international companies in 1988, we have maintained our No. 1 position despite fierce competition with giant global tobacco companies such as PMI and BAT.

KT&G recorded over KRW 5.3 trillion in consolidated sales last year, and is a listed company with the highest market cap on the Korean stock market. The company is also a conglomerate, with major business portfolios such as health functional foods, real estate, biopharmaceuticals and cosmetics in addition to its tobacco business.

In particular, KT&G is rapidly expanding its tobacco business into overseas markets. Last year, despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, we entered 30 new countries and have grown into a global tobacco company exporting to more than 110 countries. Our mid- to long-term vision is to become the world’s 4th-largest global company by expanding our export territory to over 200 countries by 2025.

Standing out above all else is KT&G’s own differentiating strategy, which promotes overseas expansion according to global local market conditions, systems, and consumer preferences. In the case of Indonesia, KT&G entered the market by acquiring a local tobacco manufacturing company, Trisakti, in July 2011 in order to secure kretek (clove) cigarette manufacturing technology and superior quality.

Then, in February 2013, the company established PT KT&G Indonesia, a corporation in charge of overall distribution and logistics in Indonesia. Since 2016, the company has been leading local job creation, providing over 900 new jobs every year and employing a cumulative total of 4,800 people in Indonesia.

In addition, the local corporation is contributing to the revitalization of Indonesia’s economy by purchasing leaf tobacco and raw materials produced in Indonesia. KT&G, which has been active in Indonesia for over a decade, is widely known as a company that fulfills its social responsibilities as a global corporate citizen.