SK On Wins Hungarian CSR Award for Second Consecutive Year, Expands Local Community Engagement

[Financial News] SK On is expanding its cultural, welfare, and educational support in Hungary, a key European battery production base, while strengthening its ties with local communities. The company won an award for the second consecutive year at a social contribution awards ceremony for Korean companies operating in Hungary, recognizing its efforts to support a music festival for people with developmental disabilities, provide vocational training to local students, and encourage employee blood donations. This year, SK On plans to hold its third music festival and continue its community-focused initiatives.
SK On announced on the 20th that it received the Best Practice in Sharing Award at the 2nd CSR Awards Ceremony for Korean Companies in Hungary, held at the Korean Cultural Center in Budapest on the 18th (local time). It was the company's second award, following the Innovative CSR Practice Award it received last year.
Organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Hungary, the ceremony was designed to identify exemplary cases of Korean companies contributing to local communities and participating in environmental protection as well as educational and welfare support. Park Cheol-min, South Korea's ambassador to Hungary, and representatives from Korean companies operating in the country attended the event. Seong-sik Kim, head of SK On's European operations, introduced the company's major social contribution activities and achievements.
SK On has expanded its support for local communities since the commercial operation of its Komárom plant began in 2020. One of its signature initiatives is the Great Music Festival (GMF), which it organizes with its parent company, SK Innovation. The event gives musicians with developmental disabilities an opportunity to showcase their talents on stage.
The two companies established a partnership with the Hungarian Association of Musicians with Developmental Disabilities in 2023 and held the first GMF in Hungary in 2024. More than 200 people, including senior Hungarian government officials, attended last year's second event. The third festival is scheduled for late November this year.
In Komárom and Iváncsa, where its production facilities are located, SK On donates to public-interest foundations and provides essential goods to vulnerable groups. Employees participate in plogging activities twice a year and take part in regular blood drives. More than 600 employees have donated blood since 2021, and the company received an honorary certificate from the Komárom-Esztergom County Red Cross in 2024.
A vocational training program on the battery industry for local students has graduated 800 participants to date. SK On received the Representative Large Enterprise Award from Komárom-Esztergom County in 2021. In 2024, a road connecting the Iváncsa plant to an existing highway was named SK-ro.
Hungary is SK On's European battery production base. The company has secured total production capacity of 47.5 GWh, comprising 7.5 GWh at Komárom Plant 1, 10 GWh at Plant 2, and 30 GWh at the Iváncsa plant. The utilization rate at Komárom Plant 2 recently exceeded 80%.
Seong-sik Kim, head of SK On's European operations, said, "This award recognizes the sincerity of SK On's sustained social contribution activities as it works to grow together with Hungary. We will continue to broaden mutually beneficial cooperation through initiatives that provide tangible support to local communities."
[email protected] Dong-ho Kim Reporter