KIC and Korea Chamber of Commerce Discuss Global Trends in Shareholder Rights Exercise and Corporate Response Strategies

The 5th 'KIC ESG Day' Held
"We Will Strive to Be a Bridge Between Domestic Companies and Overseas Investors"

As shareholder proposals have been increasing in domestic and international capital markets and shareholders are gradually exercising their rights more actively, the sovereign wealth fund Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) organized a meeting for domestic companies and global investment institutions to discuss shareholder rights exercise.

On the morning of the 15th, KIC announced that it held the 5th "KIC ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) Day" at the KIC headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, in cooperation with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, under the theme "Global Trends in ESG and Shareholder Rights and Domestic Companies' Response Measures."

The event was attended by more than 60 people, including investment officers from central associations, mutual aid associations, and pension funds, as well as IR and ESG officers from domestic companies. Since 2019, KIC has held the KIC ESG Day annually to discuss ESG investment strategies with domestic public sector institutional investors and others.

This year, the event was co-hosted with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry to expand participation to general domestic companies. With active shareholder rights exercise recently gaining attention in Korea, the purpose is to help domestic companies engage in constructive dialogue with shareholders and seek corporate-shareholder relationships that contribute to long-term corporate value enhancement.

In his opening remarks, Jin Seung-ho, CEO of KIC, said, "The exercise of shareholder rights, a pillar of responsible investment, is becoming increasingly important. As a leading global institutional investor, KIC will further strengthen shareholder rights exercise and strive to serve as a bridge connecting domestic companies and overseas investors by leveraging its global network."

Woo Tae-hee, Executive Vice President of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in his welcoming remarks, "The mandatory disclosure of ESG information in Korea is scheduled for after 2026. ESG management is no longer just an investment trend but directly linked to corporate survival," emphasizing, "A strategic approach to enhancing corporate value through active ESG management is necessary."

The first presentation was given by Jung Eun-soo, Head of Schroder Korea, who explained the ESG investment status of global asset management firms and cases of shareholder rights exercise. Jin Jin-seok, Head of Responsible Investment Team at KIC, introduced major recent themes in shareholder rights exercise such as climate change, board diversity, and dual-class voting rights, as well as the latest trends in shareholder rights exercise by global institutional investors including sovereign wealth funds and pension funds. Jung Sung-yeop, Korea Representative of Morrow Sodali, presented effective ways for companies to respond to shareholder rights exercise. Morrow Sodali is a global advisory firm specializing in proxy voting and corporate governance.

A KIC official stated, "We will continue to collaborate with international responsible investment organizations and build close networks with global sovereign wealth funds and pension funds," adding, "While continuously strengthening shareholder rights exercise, we will enhance the value of investment assets."

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