Investors urge KT&G to spinoff ginseng business

Feb.28.2023
Investors urge KT&G to spinoff ginseng business
Investors demand KT&G split profitable ginseng business, appoint external directors, and improve shareholder return policies.

Several activist investors have filed an injunction with the Daejeon District Court in South Korea, demanding that KT&G address their grievances by spinning off its profitable ginseng business, appointing certain external directors, and strengthening its shareholder return policy.


Investor group led by Singaporean private equity firm Flashlight Capital has repeatedly urged the company to spin off its ginseng business to restore the company's value and stock price.


However, during last month's investor relations event, KT&G refused this request. KT&G Senior Executive Vice President Bang Kyung-man stated, "In the long run, splitting the company has almost no benefit for the company's value or shareholders.


Bang expressed concerns that if the ginseng business department separates, KT&G may lose its "synergy".


During the meeting, KT&G rejected a request from the fund to strengthen KT&G's shareholder return policy. The tobacco manufacturer stated that the current policy "should be temporarily retained.


Lee Sang-hyun, the founder of Flashlight Capital, believes that once KT&G adjusts its investment portfolio to better achieve its environmental, social, and governance goals, its stock price will rebound beyond 140,000 Korean won, which was last seen in 2016.


The stock price of KT&G reached its lowest point on February 17 at KRW 87,100, but has since slightly recovered.


Reference:


Investors are urging KT&G to proceed with the spinoff of their ginseng business.



Disclaimer

This article is provided solely for professional research, industry discussion, and informational purposes. Any references to brands, companies, products, technologies, or policies are made for factual reporting and analytical purposes only, and do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, promotion, or advertising by 2Firsts.

Nicotine-containing products, including but not limited to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, carry significant health risks. Readers are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions, including age restrictions and access limitations.

The information contained in this article should not be regarded as investment, legal, medical, regulatory, or commercial advice. While 2Firsts strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its content, it does not assume liability for any direct or indirect loss arising from errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or reliance on the information contained herein.

This article is not intended for individuals below the legal age for accessing tobacco or nicotine-related information in their jurisdiction.

 

Copyright Notice

This article is either original content produced by 2Firsts or content reproduced, translated, summarized, or adapted from third-party sources with attribution where applicable. The intellectual property rights of the original content remain with 2Firsts or the respective original rights holders.

No individual or organization may copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, modify, translate, or otherwise use this content without prior authorization. Any unauthorized use may result in legal action.

For copyright-related inquiries, corrections, or removal requests, please contact: info@2firsts.com.

 

AI-Assisted Translation and Editing Notice

Portions of this article may have been translated, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and readability. Due to the limitations of AI-assisted translation and editing, discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies may exist when compared with the original source.

Where applicable, readers are advised to refer to the original source for the most complete and accurate information. If you identify any errors or believe that any content infringes upon your rights, please contact us at info@2firsts.com, and we will review and address the matter promptly.

BAT Shares Surge Nearly 6% as FDA Policy Shift Eases Pressure on Vuse and Velo
BAT Shares Surge Nearly 6% as FDA Policy Shift Eases Pressure on Vuse and Velo
British American Tobacco (BAT) shares rose sharply on May 12 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration signaled it would deprioritize enforcement against certain unauthorized e-cigarette and nicotine pouch products with accepted premarket applications. Investors viewed the move as favoring established players such as BAT’s Vuse and Velo brands.
BAT
May.13
FDA Tobacco Center Pushes Review-Efficiency Statement After Commissioner’s Exit
FDA Tobacco Center Pushes Review-Efficiency Statement After Commissioner’s Exit
FDA CTP issued a May 7 statement on accelerating product review and improving PMTA efficiency, but did not push it via official X and newsletter until May 13, one day after FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s resignation was confirmed. FDA has not explained the delay, and no public evidence links it directly to the leadership change. The timing is notable given CTP’s usual 24-hour distribution practice.
Special Report
May.14
Imperial Brands Explains What the UK Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 Means for Retailers
Imperial Brands Explains What the UK Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 Means for Retailers
Imperial Brands has outlined what the newly approved UK Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 means for retailers. The legislation received Royal Assent on April 29, 2026, and gives the Government powers to extend tobacco-style regulation to a wider range of products, including vaping products, heated tobacco, nicotine pouches and cigarette papers. Imperial Brands emphasized that most measures will be introduced in phases rather than taking effect immediately.
May.11 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Tobacco Farming in the New Nicotine Era: Why Indian Farmers Struggle to Transition — Contributed by Samrat Chowdhery
Tobacco Farming in the New Nicotine Era: Why Indian Farmers Struggle to Transition — Contributed by Samrat Chowdhery
In this contributed article to 2Firsts, Mumbai-based journalist and harm reduction advocate Samrat Chowdhery examines India’s tobacco transition from the perspective of agriculture, supply chains and regulation. As noted by 2Firsts, India offers a relevant case for understanding how new nicotine technologies may affect not only consumption, trade and policy, but also tobacco farming.
Special Report
May.29
FDA Launches Elsa 4.0 and Completes HALO Data Platform Consolidation
FDA Launches Elsa 4.0 and Completes HALO Data Platform Consolidation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on May 6 that it has advanced its modernization initiative by launching Elsa 4.0, an upgraded internal AI tool, and consolidating more than 40 application and submission data sources, systems and portals into a new platform called HALO. FDA said the integration of HALO and Elsa will allow staff to query data and build workflows without manually uploading documents in each chat.
May.07 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Indonesia to Step Up Vape Surveillance as Concerns Rise Over Drug-Laced E-Cigarettes
Indonesia to Step Up Vape Surveillance as Concerns Rise Over Drug-Laced E-Cigarettes
Indonesia will strengthen surveillance of vapes amid growing concerns over drug-laced e-cigarettes. The National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency, or BPOM, will soon take charge of monitoring nationwide vape distribution and said it will work with the National Narcotics Agency, or BNN. BNN recently floated a plan to completely ban e-cigarettes, saying a total ban was the only way to prevent liquid narcotics.
May.11 by 2FIRSTS.ai