KT&G announced today (March 24) that its super-slim cigarette brand Esse saw its overseas cigarette revenue jump 29.4% year-on-year to 1.9 trillion won ($1.3 billion) last year, becoming the “first Korean cigarette brand to surpass 1 trillion won in overseas sales.” KT&G also said it was the first time its global cigarette sales exceeded its domestic revenue.
According to the company, Esse, now sold in more than 90 countries, has built its growth on differentiated slim designs and localized market strategies. The brand has recorded cumulative global sales of over 1 trillion cigarettes and currently accounts for “roughly one-third of the global super-slim segment, ranking as the leading brand in that category.”
