SM Marks 30th Anniversary with Strong ESG Commitments and Cultural Legacy
Jun 30, 2025
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In the environmental field, ▶ record production for continuous greenhouse gas management and reduction?It introduced activities such as calculating greenhouse gas emissions at the venue, creating two wilderness forests to preserve biodiversity, producing records and MDs using eco-friendly materials, and upcycling exhibitions of ▶ artist costumes.
In particular, the second wilderness forest, which SM created in 2024 with a size of about 485m2 in the southern space of the Seoul Forest Children's Garden following 2023, has planted 58 kinds of shrubs and plants, including rare plants, protected wild plants in Seoul, and climate change bio-indicators, and has provided rest chairs to provide a resting place for citizens.
In the social field, ▶ Efforts to strengthen content and service quality, such as performances commemorating the 30th anniversary of SM's foundation and the production of guidebooks to improve accessibility for the disabled ▶ Human rights impact assessment was conducted not only for executives but also for trainees and stakeholders including supply chains, ▶ Establishment of the 'Technology Information Committee' under the leadership of the CEO to strengthen information security and information protection, ▶ Implementation of a risk assessment related to safety and health and safety management activities at concert halls and pop-up stores, and ▶ Publishing of a white paper for the 10th ann.
In particular, 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of SM's launch of the social contribution brand SMile and its full-fledged social contribution activities, including the SMile Music Festival, which supports youth music training and joint stages in Korea, the SMile for U campaign, which supports integrated music education for Asian children with the Korean Committee for UNICEF, and the SMile Social Volunteer Corps, which voluntarily participates with artists and executives.
In addition, SM realized a shareholder return policy worth about 35.7 billion won, burning a total of 477,274 shares of treasury stock twice (February and August) in 2024. In February 2025, 458,937 shares (equivalent to 40.3 billion won) were incinerated, continuing an active shareholder return policy. In addition, in the field of governance, more than 190,000 reports and related reports received in 'KWANGYA 119' to strengthen ▶ board independence and transparency, ▶ artist intellectual property rights, and ▶ risk management council are being operated to establish an advanced governance structure and strengthen compliance and ethical management.
As a result of such efforts to strengthen ESG management in many ways, SM won the Presidential Award of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the 31st Corporate Innovation Awards in December 2024.
CEO Jang Chul-hyuk and Tak Young-joon said, "SM, which declared a new slogan THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE on the 30th anniversary of its foundation, aims to lead the future of K-POP based on its cultural heritage accumulated so far, and become a company that shares many people's daily lives and memories. We will do our best to become the first pioneer to think and act for the social responsibility and sustainability of K-POP in the future." he said.
Meanwhile, SM's report was prepared in compliance with the international sustainability reporting standards 'GRI Standards 2021', the ten principles of the UN Global Compact, and the guidelines set out by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
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