Ethical Management
Kia is devoted to transparency, reliability, and ethical values, as well as ethical management techniques that enhance the company’s sustainable competitiveness.
Sustainability
- ESG
- Environmental
- Governance
Governance
Our Audit Committee, Sustainability Management Committee, Outside Director Recommendation Committee, and Compensation Committee under the Board of Directors boost on continuous improvement of ethical management.
Code of Ethics and Compliance
In Kia’s employment rules, there are disciplinary regulations for actions such as ethical violations. In particular, Kia enforces disciplinary action without exception in cases of non-compliance with legal obligations. In case of non-compliance with legal obligations, any fraudulent elements are considered during appointments. Additionally, in case of significant violations of compliance obligations, such as assault, misappropriation of public funds, embezzlement, bribery, and sexual harassment, the violator is excluded from appointment in principle. In 2012, Kia formed an organization dedicated to supporting compliance by appointing a Compliance officer and established compliance control standards and implementation guidelines, the basis for compliance support activities. The Compliance officer operates compliance support activities to prevent corporate legal risks and regularly report the details to the Board of directors. The Compliance officer evaluates the effectiveness of the compliance control system through an external expert and reports the results to the Board of Directors once a year. Kia has ensured that the company's compliance management message is spread smoothly to all executives and employees and that employees have a sense of responsibility for compliance management by implementing the Chief Compliance Manager System that conducts compliance control activities of the affiliated department through the appointment of the company-wide team leader designated as the Compliance support officer since 2017.
Ethics Violation Management
Kia enforces disciplinary measures without exception in cases of compliance violations. Violations affect eligibility for job appointments, and in cases of serious misconduct—including assault, embezzlement, bribery, and sexual harassment—offenders are barred from leadership appointments. In 2024, there were no confirmed violations related to corruption or bribery, customer data leakage, conflict of interest, money laundering, or insider transactions. For 13 confirmed cases involving discrimination or harassment, disciplinary measures were taken.
Human Rights Protection
Kia protects and promotes human rights of all stakeholders, including employees, partners, and customers. Kia established the Human Rights Charter, which adheres with several international norms on human rights and labor. Kia produced ten primary bullet points in the charter to convey the company's commitment to human rights in all workplaces.
We’re also addressing human resource risks by urging employees to follow human rights principles and guidelines by educating them on the recently approved human rights charter.
Human Rights related Training
Kia operates mandatory legal education for all executives and employees, including sexual harassment prevention education and education to improHuman Rights related Trainingve awareness of the disabled, so that executives and employees can always be alert to the importance of human rights.
Human Rights Impact Assessment
Kia conducts human rights impact assessments once a year to check human rights risks and verify the implementation of the Human Rights Charter at each business site. In 2023, we emphasized the importance of human rights management to all sites by sending a reminder letter before the assessment was conducted, and two additional areas were checked to reflect the amendments to the Human Rights Charter. We will continue to evolve our human rights impact assessment system to improve the effectiveness of future reviews and the reliability of our results.
Also, Kia continues to listen to the opinions of key stakeholders such as executives and customers to prevent human rights risks, and will continue to supplement the human rights risk management system and strengthen preventive activities.
Composition of Kia Human Rights Impact Assessment
| Key areas of assessment | Number of detailed items |
|---|---|
Non-discrimination | Nondiscrimination in employment Nondiscrimination based on gender Nondiscrimination of irregular workers Nondiscrimination of foreign nationals |
Compliance with labor conditions | Compliance with legal working hours Compliance with wage laws Guarantee of the right to rest Guarantee of working environment |
Humane treatment | Violence/harassment prevention No privacy intrusions Work-life balance Protection of personal information No coercion |
Freedom of association/ collective bargaining | Freedom of association /collective bargaining No penalties for union activities Guarantee and pro tection of bargaining rights Alternative measures in the absence of a union |
Prohibition of forced labor and child labor | No forced labor Prevention of forced labor at suppliers Prohibition of hiring children Action against hiring minors |
Guarantee of industrial safety | Workplace safety Protection of pregnant and people with disabilities Provision of essential equipment and training Support for victims of industrial accidents |
Protection of local residents’ human rights | Respect for local resi dents’ human rights Protection of resident intellectual property |
Protection of customers’ human rights | Compliance with consumer protection laws Protection of consumer privacy Actions in case of product defects |
Responsible supply chain managemen | Demand for fulfillment of obligations to protect human rights Monitoring compliance with human rights protections |
Guarantee of environmental rights | Establishment and maintenance of environmental management systems Disclosure of environmental information |
Principles for Ethical Advertising and Marketing
Kia has established "Ethical Advertising and Marketing Principles" to ensure the provision of knowledge and accurate information necessary for customer purchasing decisions, thereby upholding customers’ right to know and rational choice. These principles aim to foster a healthy advertising and marketing environment. Kia is committed to delivering precise and balanced information about its products and services, without exaggerating or falsifying social or environmental impacts. Furthermore, Kia forbids practices that unfairly compare or disparage competitor products and prohibits advertising and marketing activities that fail to protect vulnerable groups, such as individuals with disabilities and the elderly.