Four Companies Including Lotte Department Store Receive Minister’s Award for Excellence in Leisure-Friendly Management

Lotte Department Store, Jongno-gu Facilities Management Corporation, Thomas, and Korea Power Human Resources Development Institute have been selected as outstanding "2025 Leisure-Friendly Management Companies and Institutions" and will receive the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award.

On November 4, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that, together with the Regional Culture Promotion Agency, it will certify 149 companies and institutions that strive to harmonize work and leisure for their employees through leisure-friendly management as "2025 Leisure-Friendly Management Companies and Institutions." Four organizations, including Lotte Department Store, will receive the Minister’s Award, while Gunpo Urban Corporation, Agnes Medical, Korea Youth Work Agency, and Korea Maritime Technology will receive the President’s Award from the Promotion Agency. Two companies, I.M. Financial Holdings and Hyundai EZwell, will receive Special Awards from the Leisure-Friendly Certification Committee.

The Leisure-Friendly Certification System is based on Article 16 of the "Basic Act for the Promotion of National Leisure" and recognizes companies and institutions that exemplify leisure-friendly management. The Ministry operates this certification system to encourage a widespread leisure-friendly organizational culture, targeting companies and institutions that help employees balance work and leisure in their daily lives.

Among this year’s 149 certified organizations, 93 are newly certified, while the remaining 56 have been re-certified. Since the introduction of the certification system in 2012, the total number of leisure-friendly management companies and institutions has increased to 700.

This year, there were 184 applications in total. The 149 companies and institutions that were ultimately certified were evaluated through document screening, employee surveys, and interviews on criteria such as the establishment of leisure conditions, implementation of leisure-friendly systems, and organizational culture. Final selection was made through a resolution by the Leisure-Friendly Certification Committee.

The certified companies and institutions generally operate a variety of leave and flexible work systems, such as leave in units of days or hours, leave rollover, advance leave, and compensatory leave. Through systems like annual leave promotion and autonomous leave use, employees are institutionally guaranteed the ability to harmoniously manage work and leisure on their own. In addition, they support personal growth through funding for club and cultural activities outside of work, support for acquiring certifications, and offer support for vacations and resort facilities, thereby fostering a work environment that values employee satisfaction and happiness.

Lotte Department Store guarantees up to 4.6 years of parental leave, from maternity leave to childcare leave, and operates support systems tailored to each childcare stage, such as prenatal travel support, "My Child’s First Steps" leave, and leave for children’s school entry. It also provides home safety services for employees living alone and operates flexible work systems such as smart offices, offering specialized leisure programs according to the life cycle.

Jongno-gu Facilities Management Corporation has implemented specialized systems tailored to the nature of the institution, such as meal and health check-up allowances to encourage staff during extreme heat or cold, mentoring support for new employees, long-service recognition programs, and funding for self-development.

Thomas boasts a 100% flexible work adoption rate and a 92% leave utilization rate, and operates customized leave systems such as two-hour early leave on employee anniversaries and Culture Day. The company also provides differentiated self-development support, such as subsidies for golf lessons and TOEIC score-based bonuses, and operates various in-house facilities (kids’ room, Tom Snack Bar, multi-room) tailored to employee needs.

Korea Power Human Resources Development Institute supports employee growth by funding professional certification acquisition, offering various in-house training programs, and providing support for club and cultural activities, taking into account each employee’s personal interests.

Certified leisure-friendly companies and institutions may use the Leisure-Friendly Certification Mark for three years (from January 2026 to December 2028). Further information on certified companies, best practices, and special benefits for certified organizations can be found on the Leisure-Friendly Certification website.

Lee Jeongwoo, Director-General for Culture and Arts Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Leisure activities can enhance employees’ creativity and lead to organizational achievements, and a culture that harmonizes work and leisure increases organizational sustainability. The Ministry will continue to support the spread of leisure-friendly organizational culture throughout companies and institutions."

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