Expanding Markets in Cooperation with PMI
KT&G has expanded the overseas markets for its cigarette-type e-cigarette Lil to 30 countries through global cooperation with Philip Morris International (PMI).
The two tobacco giants signed a product supply contract for overseas sales of Lil in 2020 and introduced the product to Russia, Ukraine and Japan in the same year. Based on positive consumer responses to Lil, they expanded its markets to Europe, Central Asia, and Central America. They launched the cigarette in 19 countries last year alone.
KT&G and PMI also diversified Lil’s markets this year to Bosnia, Lebanon and Portugal. On Oct. 19, they launched Lil Solid 2.0 and its dedicated stick Fiit in Latvia, raising the total to 31 countries.
KT&G’s aggressive R&D investment was the key to the success of Lil. Its patent applications surged from only 84 in 2017 to 1,186 in 2021.
KT&G achieved a record-breaking stellar performance in 2021 thanks to the growth of its global business. Buoyed up by this, it announced a large-scale shareholder return policy last year to pay around 1.75 trillion won in dividends over the next three years and buy back 1 trillion won worth of treasury stocks.