Hankook Tire employee awarded National May 1st Labor Medal

- Awarded to Kaijiu Yang, Head of Energy Innovation Project at Hankook Tire Jiaxing Plant
- Yang led the smart energy system development as part of Hankook’s green manufacturing initiative
- Highlights Hankook’s commitment to talent management designed to realize full potential of every employee

Seoul, Korea, May 13, 2022 – Global leading tire company Hankook Tire announced Kaijiu Yang, the head of Energy Innovation Project at Hankook Tire Jiaxing Plant in China, had won the National May 1^st Labor Medal granted by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The hard-won honorary award was granted in recognition of the outstanding employee performance.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions held ‘Celebration of International Labor Day and National Worker Pioneer Commendation Conference 2022’ on April 28. The conference granted 200 National May 1^st Labor Certificates, 966 National May 1^st Labor Medals, and 956 National Worker Pioneers. Among them, Kaijiu Yang, head of Energy Innovation Project at Hankook Tire Jiaxing Plant in China, won the National May 1^st Labor Medal, becoming the first in Jiaxing Economic Development Zone, China to receive this honor.

As part of Hankook Tire’s energy efficiency and eco-friendly management, Yang led the smart energy system development in 2016, and effectively reduced energy cost by adopting digital management based on advanced technologies. The plant introduced remote operation and maintenance using 5G and augmented reality (AR), and robots in power distribution station. The smart energy management system successfully reduced energy consumption per unit of product by 20% in five years. With that, Hankook Tire Jiaxing Plant saved CNY 120 million in energy cost and cut down carbon dioxide emissions by 99,000 tons.

Yang also made a blueprint for Hankook's future smart factories. Yang will continue leading applications of 5G new technologies to the factory to accelerate digital transformation and innovate manufacturing scene.

“This honor was made possible in joint efforts with all team members. I’m just here as a representative,” said Kaijiu Yang, the winner of the National May 1^st Labor Medal 2022. “Receiving the award inspires me to move forward, but it’s also a big responsibility that urges me to keep working diligently and create greater value for the company and society. I want to set an example for young employees."

Yang's achievement well demonstrates Hankook Tire's effective talent management strategy. Hankook Tire regards talent cultivation as one of the top priorities to evolve and innovate the tire industry further. Through effective training system and fair evaluation, Hankook Tire taps into the full potential of employees and helps them grow.

Yang’s performance is in line with Hankook’s initiative for sustainable development and eco-friendly manufacturing. Hankook is applying green technology to the entire process from product development to final disposal, striving to reduce the environmental impact at each stage. Hankook Tire Jiaxing Plant had also been awarded the National Green Factory recognition by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China for its eco-friendliness as the first tire manufacturer.

◆ About Kaijiu Yang, Head of Energy Innovation Project at Hankook Tire Jiaxing Plant in China
● Graduated from China University of Mining and Technology (majored in electrical engineering and automation)
● Joined Hankook Tire in 2004 to provide on-site equipment maintenance and security
● Participated in equipment innovation, energy improvement, system transformation, production management and quality management projects at Hankook
● Undertook material metering system and supply monitoring system innovation project in 2007 to win "Excellent Innovation Award" from Hankook Tire Global Headquarters
● Promoted as the head of energy innovation project team in 2022