Jonghun Kim, Chairman of HanmiGlobal, Awarded Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit
Contributing to Overcoming the Population Crisis
Jonghun Kim, Chairman of HanmiGlobal, has been awarded the Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit for his contributions to overcoming low birth rates and promoting a work-family balance culture. On July 10, 2026, the government presented awards to 75 individuals, including Chairman Kim, who contributed to addressing the population crisis, during the 15th Population Day ceremony.
Chairman Kim was recognized for operating in-house childbirth encouragement programs and leading private-sector discussions on responding to the population crisis. Guided by the belief that "businesses should take the lead in population recovery," he established the Hanbando Future Population Research Institute in 2022, the first private institute specializing in population studies in Korea. As the inaugural chairman, he spearheaded policy proposals and forums, helping to bring the population issue into public discourse.
Within the company, he introduced a policy in 2023 granting employees an unconditional promotion by one rank upon the birth of a third child. HanmiGlobal also created a program to provide up to 100 million won in housing loans for employees getting married, and designed infertility treatment support without restrictions on the number of attempts. There is also a separate leave system for infertility treatment. Employees who give birth receive an additional 30 days of special paid leave and a childbirth incentive, in addition to the legally mandated maternity leave. Parental leave was extended to a maximum of two years per child, with the company maintaining regular salary for the first three months. Reduced working hours and remote work options for parents were also introduced.
According to HanmiGlobal, the average birth rate among married employees is 1.57 children, nearly double Korea's national total fertility rate of 0.8.
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Chairman Kim stated, "If the declining population trend continues, Korea's population will shrink to around 15 million by 2100, threatening the survival of the nation. I will do my utmost to fulfill corporate social responsibility and help create a country where future generations can have hope."
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