ESG integrated into support for small businesses... SEMAS wins Overall ESG Grand Prize

[Financial News] The Small Enterprise and Market Service (SEMAS) won the Overall ESG Grand Prize at the 2026 K-ESG Management Awards in recognition of its achievements, including recycling discarded electronics, establishing safety nets for small business owners, and strengthening internal controls. 
 According to industry sources on the 27th, SEMAS has strengthened its ESG management this year by pursuing initiatives in the areas of environment, social responsibility and governance. 
 In the environmental area, SEMAS processed 5,987 kg (624 units) of discarded electronic products collected by its employees and 5,822 kg of unusable electronic products generated by small business owners who had closed their businesses. This reduced carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2-eq) by approximately 22,060 kg. SEMAS also purchased 487 MWh of green-premium electricity to use renewable energy. This accounted for about 15% of its total electricity consumption.
 In the social area, SEMAS expanded its network linking small business support centers and regional suicide prevention centers to 61 locations. It also distributed “smart safety tags” for female small business owners and one-person small business owners and provided recovery and relief support to small business owners affected by disasters. In the governance area, SEMAS became the first organization in South Korea to obtain ISO 37003 certification, the international standard for management systems to prevent misconduct. It also held open meetings to promote communication among employees and ran integrity training programs.
 Going forward, SEMAS plans to continue these activities by linking its small business support programs with ESG management.
 SEMAS Chairman In Tae-yeon said, “This award recognizes our efforts to link ESG management with the institution’s core initiatives,” adding, “We will continue programs that provide practical help to small business owners and local communities.”
[email protected] Lee Ju-mi Reporter