SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 26, 2024--
Kolmar Korea (KRX: 024720) has been recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the World’s Best Companies for Sustainable Growth 2025.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241226863828/en/
On November 27, TIME, in collaboration with a global market research firm Statista, unveiled a list of the top 500 companies worldwide, demonstrating exceptional sustainable growth. Kolmar Korea took place 125th around the globe and 6th among Korean companies. Notably, it was the only Korean cosmetics company on the list, which featured a total of 23 Korean companies.
The rankings were based on an evaluation of revenue growth, financial stability, and environmental impact, each contributing equally to a final score out of 100 points. TIME and Statista analyzed 3,000 major companies from 150 countries, focusing exclusively on those with transparent environmental disclosures.
Kolmar Korea achieved an overall score of 81.44, ranking among the top 125 companies around the world. Specifically, it was the top 25% for revenue growth, with a three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17%, and in the top 40% for financial stability. The company performed well in the category of environmental impact, ranking among the world’s top 10% in carbon emissions, eco-friendly energy use, and waste management. It scored the third-highest among Korean companies.
Kolmar Korea’s impressive ranking is a testament to its unwavering commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) management. Along with its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the company is actively pioneering eco-friendly technologies. These are underscored by its paper tube and paper stick, eco-friendly cosmetic containers that Kolmar Korea has first developed among industry leaders.
Developed in 2021, paper tube reduces plastic contents by over 80% compared to conventional containers. This eco-friendly container has garnered global recognition, winning top prizes at three prestigious design awards: IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards), iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award. Paper stick, used in stick-type cosmetics, minimizes plastic usage by incorporating mineral paper, further evidencing Kolmar Korea’s competitiveness in green technologies.
Kolmar Korea has also worked together with market stakeholders to promote sustainable growth and foster industry-wide synergy. It has pursued shared growth with SMEs (small and medium enterprises including small indie brands) to expand its influence of K-beauty in the world. Thanks to such efforts, its K-beauty export hit a record high of USD 9.3 billion as of November 2024 while annual exports are projected to surpass USD 10 billion.
Kolmar Korea has also established an ESG committee under its board of directors to enhance its compliance program (CP) system and strengthen its transparent governance. These efforts have been recognized by prominent domestic ESG evaluation agencies such as the KCGS (Korea Institute of Corporate Governance and Sustainability) and Sustinvest. In their recent assessments, Kolmar Korea was awarded grade A.
Yoon Sang Hyun, Vice-chairman of Kolmar Group said, “It is pleased for Kolmar Korea to be named one of the world’s best companies.” He added, “We will continue to enhance sustainable management through eco-friendly technological innovation and remain committed to advancing our responsibilities as a leading Korean company in the world.”
Kolmar Korea on TIME's World's Best Companies in Sustainable Growth 2025 (Image: Kolmar Korea)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in the fighting in Russia's Kursk region and facing logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks, Ukraine’s military intelligence said Thursday.
The intelligence agency, known under its acronym GUR, said Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. It said North Korean troops also faced supply issues and even shortages of drinking water.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war.
The casualty disclosure came as the Biden administration was pressing to send as much military aid as possible to Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes over in January.
Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into the Kursk region in August, dealing a significant blow to Russia's prestige and forcing it to deploy some of its troops from eastern Ukraine, where they were pressing a slow-moving offensive.
The Russian army has been able to reclaim some territory in the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces, but has failed to fully dislodge them.
At the same time, Russia has sought to break Ukraine's resistance with waves of strikes with cruise missiles and drones against Ukraine's power grid and other infrastructure.
The latest attack on Christmas morning involved 78 missiles and 106 drones, striking power facilities, Ukraine’s air force said. It claimed to have intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones and jammed 52 other drones.
On Thursday, Russia attacked Ukraine with 31 exploding drones. Twenty were shot down and another 11 didn’t reach their target due to jamming, the Ukrainian air force said.
As part of the daily barrage, Russian forces also struck a central market in Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region with a drone, wounding eight people, according to local authorities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Thursday that Russia could again hit Ukraine with the new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile that was first used in a Nov. 21 strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
Speaking to reporters, Putin said Russia has just a few Oreshnik missiles, but added that it wouldn't hesitate to use them on Ukraine.
“We aren't in a rush to use them, because those are powerful weapons intended for certain tasks,” he said. “But we wouldn't exclude their use today or tomorrow if necessary.”
Putin said Russia has launched serial production of the new weapon and reaffirmed a plan to deploy some of Oreshnik missiles to Russia's neighbor and ally Belarus. Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko told reporters Thursday that his country could host 10 or more.
Ukraine struck back with drone strikes of its own. Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications said the military struck a plant in Kamensk-Shakhtynsky in Russia’s southern Rostov region that produces propellant for ballistic missiles.
“This strike is part of a comprehensive campaign to weaken the capabilities of the Russian armed forces to carry out terrorist attacks against Ukrainian civilians,” it said in a statement.
A Ukrainian AS-90 self-propelled artillery vehicle fires towards Russian positions at the frontline on Pokrovsk direction, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A medic treats an injured Ukrainian serviceman at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
An injured Ukrainian serviceman walks out of an ambulance at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Injured Ukrainian servicemen arrive from the battlefield at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Medics haul an injured Ukrainian serviceman on a stretcher from an ambulance at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A medic treats an injured Ukrainian serviceman at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A medic checks the ear of an injured Ukrainian serviceman at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A medic helps an injured Ukrainian serviceman walk out of an ambulance at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
An injured Ukrainian serviceman takes off his shirt after arriving from the battlefield at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A medic treats an injured Ukrainian serviceman at Medical Service "Ulf" of the 108th Separate Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves" on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
