SMEs Ministry Announces Results of Public Vote for "Coexistence Company Award of the Year"

50 Points Reflected in the Selection Review for Government Award Candidates

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the results of the public vote for "Coexistence Company Award of the Year" in the individual and group categories on August 19, 2026.

The public vote was held over nine days, from August 5 to August 13, with a total of 14,404 participants casting 86,424 votes. Each voter was able to cast up to three votes each for 15 individual candidates and 15 group candidates, for a total of six votes.

The top five companies in the group category were LG Household & Health Care, KB Financial Group, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Korea Midland Power.

These five companies have made significant contributions to building a win-win cooperation ecosystem by closely collaborating with their partners in areas such as technology and product localization, joint entry into overseas markets, implementation of supply price indexation systems, support for policy funds, and donation to various funds.

The top five individuals selected in the individual category were Park Sangwon, Senior Manager at Kia Corporation; Jang Cheolwoong, Executive Vice President at Samsung Display; Wang Minseok, policy chief at Korea Western Power; Kim Gihong, General Manager at Korea Aerospace Industries; and Jeong Huiseob, Executive Director at Hyundai Motor Company.

They have actively contributed to establishing a win-win cooperation ecosystem by carrying out various cooperative activities with their partners, such as joint technology development, expanding raw material purchases, strengthening supply chain competitiveness, and supporting employment stability.

The results of the public vote will be reflected as 50 points in the government award candidate selection review. The Ministry will combine this with the 50-point evaluation score from the National Recommendation Review Panel to determine the final awardees and the type of award. After deliberation by a merit review committee, the awardees will be announced at the Win-Win Growth Week ceremony on November 26, 2026. This year, the ministry plans to bestow a total score of approximately 97 points in awards.

Lee Euncheong, Director-General of the Win-Win Cooperation Policy Bureau at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "This vote was meaningful since the public actively participated in selecting companies for mutual growth, making it a true venue for co-prosperity created by both companies and the public. We hope this result will serve as a significant milestone in spreading win-win cooperation throughout society."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.