[Consumerwide - HueSoung Jun Reporter / Yohan Bok Reporter] The tobacco industry began leading ESG by practicing social responsibility.

Philip Morris Korea is making an effort to increase e-cigarette users in Korea. BAT Rothmans began supporting independence of young adults and KT&G is supporting global artists. According to the tobacco industry, on the 28th, Philip Morris Korea began their journey to expand the e-cigarette in Korea, hoping to give a better alternative to current smokers. When regular cigarettes are smoked, it brings the issues of passive smoking and fire. On the other hand, the e-cigarette is relatively free from the same issues, according to Philip Morris Korea. Based on their research, the e-cigarette could be a safer and better alternative. Thus, they see that paying 4800 won for a pack of cigarettes plus an e-device would be a value consumption rather than getting a regular cigarette, paying 4500 won.

The sales record of overall cigarettes was a total of 1.77 bn packs, which was a 0.6% decrease compared to the same season last year (1.8 bn packs), during the first half of the year, referring to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. In the cigarette type category, 1478 million packs of regular cigarettes and 292 million packs of e-cigarettes were sold. The market share of e-cigarettes was 16.5%, which was a 14.8% increase from the same season last year. Regular cigarette smokers took 83.5%. Along with a slow move in sales, Philip Morris Korea began initiating promotions by using the method of storytelling.

Due to the plan, Philip Morris Korea is receiving a participant application for the Iqos brand campaign. Any Iqos club members over 25 years old living in Korea can apply for it, and the application is opened between 28th and 3rd of Sept through the official homepage. The winners of the first pull can participate in an interview, and after the second pull, the final campaign participants are decided. All the participants get 300 club points, and among them, 50 people who upload a photo or video are given the "Iqos illuma prime" through a lottery system. The story of brand campaign participants is made as campaign content and shared through various channels, including the homepage. Those interviewees are awarded with a small amount of cash and hotel vouchers, and the final winners, the brand campaign participants, get payment for content production, including video and photos.

Meanwhile, Philip Morris Korea Yangsan factory, which aims to facilitate environmental factories, began the "Green tyger campaign" in order to practice environmental management and to respond to climate change issues. Besides, they began practicing social responsibilities, which involve environmental protection activities, such as, Nak.kong.chi. (cleaning butts, began by me.) an environmental campaign which is based on the theme, "When Seoul becomes clean, the oceans will.", "Ocean love" campaign, and "Go go challenge" with the Ministry of Environment, young adult smoking prevention campaign, supporting improvement in transporting enviroment in local area, supporting health care and safety guard of fire officers and medical staffs, creating virtuous cycle model through contribution and job offers, supporting consumer health and culture and art. An associated person from Philip Morris Korea said, "We hope that adult smokers will transfer to a better alternative by storytelling of Iqos users, who have experienced change in daily life.”

BAT Rothmans began practicing social responsibility by supporting the independence of young adults. They facilitated a self-help group which built a social network that provides mental help along with practical information including finances and property, in order to support the independence of young adults, at the large conference room of Korean wellfare services on the 24th. These young adults mean those who began living alone after their time living in children's homes, group homes, and foster care facilities, at the age of 18. This meeting is a part of the "Sponsoring for the independence of young adults" project of BAT Rothmans. Earlier, BAT Rothmans passed on 60 million won of donations for the independence of young adult from children's homes and single-parent families in April. The donation is used for school tuition and job training fees and emergency funds. An associated person from BAT Rothmans said, "Due to the end of foster care, they are in the status of being responsible for themselves as a member of society. Thus, we would like to support them with various activities so that they can be trained along with financial support and stay positive and healthy during the period of time." 

A scholarship fund facilitated by KT&G is practicing social responsibility through the "Global artist support project". The first beneficiaries are Lee Chaeeun and Jeon Mincheol for culture and art scholarships, and each of them are given a 5 million won. "Global artist support project" is a new program made this year, which is designed to support the continuous growth of those art scholarship students who won an international competition. Lee Chaeeon won the top in junior competition during the "2023 Youth America Grand Prix", which is an international ballet competition held in April, and Jeon Minchel wow the third in Senior part and the top in Pas de deux part competitions. Earlier, the KT&G scholarship fund has been continuing their culture art scholarship project since 2016, aiming to support potential art geniuses. Through the project, they are discovering scholarships in multiple areas. (music, ballet, traditional art, and art) Currently, the accumulated beneficiaries are 236, and the fund scale is over 1.2 bn won. An associated person from the KT&A said, "We additionally began this global artist support project former scholarship project so that we could support the growth of cultural and art scholars, who have proved their capacity on the world stage, while setting up a continuous activity background. We continue to contribute to the further development of culture and art in the domestic area by discovering and supporting art genius ."