KT&G, First Domestic Listed Company to Obtain 'Equal Pay Certification'

KT&G became the first publicly listed company in Korea to receive the 'Equal Pay Certification' on the 17th. The photo shows KT&G registered as a certified company on the official website of the Equal Pay Foundation. (Photo by KT&G)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] KT&G announced on the 26th that it has become the first publicly listed company in Korea to obtain the ‘Equal Pay Certification.’

This certification verifies whether a company implements equal pay policies for employees with the same qualifications regardless of gender, and whether it fairly provides all opportunities in HR (human resources) such as recruitment, evaluation, and promotion. It is administered by the global nonprofit organization ‘Equal Pay International Coalition’ and is certified by the ‘European Commission.’

KT&G participated in the certification to have its wage policies and HR systems officially verified based on objective standards by an independent professional institution and to use this as a starting point for advanced human rights management. The certification process took about five months of thorough review. First, salary data was analyzed to verify equal pay policies, followed by an audit procedure to confirm the management’s commitment and execution regarding equal policy practices, and group interviews to survey employees’ perceptions. Additionally, the company’s documented internal policies and overall fairness in HR were evaluated.

KT&G operates ‘recruitment’ through a ‘blind system’ to ensure competency-based, non-discriminatory selection, and conducts ‘evaluation’ and ‘promotion’ through ‘mutual interviews’ rather than simple notifications. To support employees’ work-life balance, KT&G has established various paid leave systems such as maternity leave and up to two years of parental leave per child, as well as benefits for childbirth and childcare including child care allowances and infertility treatment support.

To reflect employees’ opinions in management activities, KT&G operates multiple communication channels including the ER team, a corporate culture dedicated department, the ‘Sangsang Junior Board,’ a consultative body for the 2030 generation, and the ‘HR System Satisfaction Survey.’ Meanwhile, KT&G has been recognized as a ‘Top Job Company in Korea’ and an ‘Excellent Company for Work-Life Balance’ by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and has obtained the ‘Family-Friendly Excellent Company’ certification from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, demonstrating its efforts to develop HR systems through communication with employees.

Baek Bok-in, CEO of KT&G, stated, “Obtaining the ‘Equal Pay Certification’ is the result of the company and employees actively communicating and developing human rights management policies.” He added, “KT&G plans to continuously develop inclusive and fair policies for all employees to fundamentally strengthen the company’s competitiveness.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.