Previously, KT&G had opened an office in Uzbekistan in 2023 and exported customized products of its ultra-slim tobacco brand ‘ESSE’ locally. Last year, seven products under the ‘Esse’ brand sold a total of 270 million cigarettes in Uzbekistan. In particular, KT&G’s long-selling product ‘Esse Change’ accounted for 64 per cent of the export volume.

KT&G intends to increase its competitiveness in the Eurasian region in the long term by transforming its Uzbekistan office into a corporation. It will also more than quadruple the size of its local workforce. In addition, the company plans to strengthen its position in the market by establishing a detailed sales network, the report said, A KT&G official said: “The establishment of the Uzbekistan subsidiary is an extension of the ‘global top-tier’ leap following the establishment of the subsidiary in Kazakhstan in 2023 and is part of investment and innovation,” adding “We will continue to grow our global business by strengthening the local business system.”