[E-Daily Reporter kim mi-kyung ] KT&G Corporation received the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award in recognition of its efforts to foster a corporate culture that supports work-life balance. This achievement comes 10 years after the company was first certified as a “Leisure-Friendly Company” in 2016.

#KT&G Corporation announced on the 10th that it received the Minister’s Award on the 9th at the “2026 Leisure-Friendly Management Companies and Institutions Certification Ceremony” hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The Leisure-Friendly Management Certification is a program that recognizes companies and institutions that support work-life balance for employees and contribute to the promotion of a leisure culture. KT&G Corporation has consistently been recertified since its initial certification in 2016 and received the Minister’s Award—the highest honor—for the first time this year.

According to KT&G Corporation, this award is the result of high recognition for fostering a company-wide leisure-friendly culture based on the philosophy that work-life balance leads to employee competitiveness and motivation. The company operates programs that support leisure activities, including a system for taking annual leave in hourly increments, support for in-house club activities, the operation of an in-house library, and the hosting of e-sports tournaments for employees.

The company has also strengthened its systems to support work-life balance. Since 2015, it has implemented an “automatic parental leave system,” whereby employees automatically transition to parental leave upon childbirth without the need for a separate application; as a result, the parental leave utilization rate has more than tripled compared to previous levels. “Family Harmony, Corporate Success,” a family-friendly program featuring events such as employee family photo sessions, has also been running for 10 years.

The company also received high praise for spreading a leisure-friendly culture to the local community. Through its five “Sang Sang Madang” multi-purpose cultural spaces nationwide, KT&G Corporation offers opportunities to enjoy culture not only to its employees but also to local residents by operating a variety of cultural and artistic programs.

Bae Su-min, Head of KT&G Corporation’s Sustainable Management Division, stated, “This award is recognition of KT&G Corporation’s management philosophy that a balance between work and leisure leads to employee engagement and growth,” adding, “We will continue to foster a free and leisure-friendly organizational culture.”