SK On has been recognized for its sustained community engagement programs in Hungary.
The company said on the 20th that it received the Model Sharing Award at the 2nd CSR Awards for Korean Companies in Hungary, held on the 18th local time at the Korean Cultural Center in Budapest and hosted by the Korean Embassy in Hungary. The ceremony was created to identify and promote outstanding examples of community engagement by Korean companies operating in Hungary.
The award marks SK On's second consecutive win, following the Innovative CSR Practice Award at the inaugural ceremony last year. The company has carried out locally rooted programs ranging from a music festival for people with developmental disabilities to regional welfare support and employee volunteer activities.
Kim Sung-sik, head of SK On's European operations, attended the event and presented the company's main community programs and their results. SK On has steadily expanded shared-growth activities with local communities since beginning commercial operations in Komárom, Hungary, in 2020. The flagship example is the Great Music Festival (GMF), a music festival for people with developmental disabilities.
SK Innovation (096770) and SK On established a partnership with a Hungarian music association for people with developmental disabilities in 2023 and held the first event in Hungary in 2024 on that basis. The second edition last year drew about 200 attendees, including senior Hungarian government officials.
Employee volunteer work and education support have also been active. SK On's European unit holds plogging events and regular blood drives twice a year in the Komárom and Iváncsa areas. About 600 employees have donated blood cumulatively since 2021, and the unit received a certificate of honor from the Komárom-Esztergom County Red Cross in 2024.
The company also runs vocational training on the battery industry for local students, with 800 having completed the program so far. In recognition of these efforts, SK On received the county's award for a leading large company from Komárom-Esztergom County in 2021, and in 2024 a road connecting its Iváncsa plant to an existing highway was named SK Road.
SK On currently operates the Komárom No. 1 and No. 2 plants and the Iváncsa plant in Hungary. The Komárom No. 2 plant in particular has recently recorded a utilization rate of more than 80%, establishing a stable production system.
"This award recognizes the sincerity of the community engagement activities we have continued in order to grow together with Hungary," Kim said. "We will keep broadening the scope of shared growth through activities that provide real help to local communities."
