SK Telecom headquarters building. /Courtesy of SKT

SK Telecom (hereinafter SKT) announced on the 17th that it has been included in the 2024 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World Index.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index World Index (hereinafter "DJSI World Index") is a sustainability assessment index published annually by S&P Global, the world's largest financial information provider. It serves as an important measure for evaluating the ESG management levels of global corporations and providing investors with standards for responsible investment.

Since first being listed on the DJSI World Index in 2008, SKT has achieved a total of 16 years of inclusion, excluding 2020. This is a unique achievement among domestic telecommunications corporations, and only seven telecommunications corporations worldwide have been listed on the DJSI World Index, making this accomplishment even more significant.

Only about 10% of the top corporations among the more than 2,500 assessed for the DJSI World Index are included, with only about 20 domestic corporations listed. Among them, SKT received the highest score.

This inclusion in the DJSI World Index reflects various ESG management efforts by SKT, including strengthening a board-centered ESG management system, enhancing risk management processes, implementing a dual materiality assessment, advancing environmental management policies, expanding supply chain ESG programs, linking the effectiveness of member training programs, establishing stakeholder communication policies, enhancing customer information management, and improving disclosures.

The results of this year's DJSI evaluation will be reflected in S&P DJSI funds and related ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) index funds at the opening of U.S. securities markets on Dec. 23.

Eom Jong-hwan, head of SKT's ESG promotion office, emphasized, "As we have been recognized as a global leader in ESG for a long time, we will continue to develop ESG management to meet both internal and external evaluations and expectations," adding, "We will take the lead in creating sustainable growth in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders based on our technological capabilities as a global AI company."