Hankook Tire Hosts ‘2025 Proactive Awards’ to Celebrate Employee Innovation Achievements

- Hosted the ‘2025 Proactive Awards’ on March 3 at Hankook Technodome to recognize employees’ outstanding innovation achievements
- Honored individuals and teams demonstrating excellence across four categories: Leadership, Performance, Challenge, and Innovation
- Fosters global leadership and a culture of bold challenges grounded in the ‘Proactive Culture’ to drive the future mobility industry

Seoul, Korea, March 4, 2026 — Global leading tire company Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) announced that it hosted the ‘2025 Proactive Awards’ on the afternoon of March 3 at its high-tech R&D center, Hankook Technodome, located in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

The ‘Proactive Awards’ is an annual program designed to recognize teams and employees worldwide who have delivered outstanding results through bold challenges and innovation over the past year, while encouraging their continued growth as global talents. In particular, the program serves as a flagship initiative to embed Hankook & Company Group Chairman Hyunbum Cho’s core management philosophy, the ‘Proactive Culture,’ across the organization. Since its launch in 2007, the awards have reached their 19th edition this year.

The ceremony was attended by approximately 100 participants, including award-winning global employees and their families, as well as headquarters executives. During the event, awards were presented across four categories: Leadership, Challenge, Performance, and Innovation. Hankook Tire selected a total of 10 teams and individuals who achieved the highest level of excellence in their respective categories and awarded them trophies along with prize of up to KRW 20 million.

In the Leadership category, employees who led meaningful change within their organizations through strong communication and execution capabilities were recognized. The award recipients included Bonbae Koo, Team Leader of the Gyeonggi Central PC/LT Team at the Korea Sales Department; Deokhee Ryu, Team Leader of the Material Machinery Team under the Safety & Production Technology Division; Jiyoung Kim, Group Leader of the Manufacturing Sub-Team1 at the Keumsan Plant under the Safety Production& Engineering Headquarters; and Yue Peng (岳鹏), Line Leader of Manufacturing Team 2 at the Chongqing Plant under the China Headquaters.

In the Performance category, which recognizes organizations that have strengthened business competitiveness through outstanding achievements, the Manufacturing Team 2 at the Indonesia Plant under the Safety & Production Technology Headquaters and the Romania subsidiary under the Europe Headquaters were selected as award recipients. The Challenge category, which honors individuals who have demonstrated meaningful accomplishments through an enterprising mindset and bold initiatives, was awarded to Changmo Kang, Senior Manager of the Real Estate Development Incorporation Task Project under the Real Estate Development Department.

Lastly, in the Innovation category, which is awarded to employees and teams that have delivered outstanding results through innovation initiatives, recipients were recognized for generating tangible outcomes through digital transformation and site-driven innovation activities. Honorees included Nayoung Jeon, Manager of the Quality Digital Innovation Task Project under the Quality Headquaters; the Qingfeng (清风) Quality Control Circle of Manufacturing Team 3 at the Jiaxing Plant under the China Headquaters; and the Oil Quality Control Circle of the DP PCR1 Sub-Team at the Daejeon Plant under the Safety & Production Technology Headquaters.

Building on Hankook & Company Group’s unique corporate culture, the ‘Proactive Culture’, Hankook Tire continues to provide strong support to ensure that all employees can grow into ‘Proactive Leaders’ who drive the future mobility industry through continuous challenges and innovation. By fostering a culture of horizontal communication that unlocks individual creativity and potential, the company simultaneously encourages healthy competition among employees through the ‘Proactive Awards,’ motivating both individual growth and organizational innovation.