Who owns ESSE?
ESSE is owned by KT&G (South Korea, KRX: 033780).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Key facts
- Current owner
- KT&G Corporation reported
- Owned since
- Not recorded
- Previous owner
- None recorded
- Owner HQ
- 🇰🇷 South Korea, Daejeon
- Origin
- 🇰🇷 South Korea
- Founded
- 1996
- Category
- Tobacco & nicotine › Tobacco products › Cigarettes
- Parent ticker
- KRX: 033780
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About ESSE
ESSE is KT&G's flagship superslim cigarette brand, launched in Korea in 1996 and expanded internationally from 2001, starting with the Middle East and Russia. KT&G's own press material describes ESSE as the global number one superslim cigarette brand, holding roughly one-third of the worldwide superslim category, sold in around 90 countries, and having passed one trillion cumulative sticks sold across Korea and international markets by its 30th anniversary. In 2013 KT&G launched ESSE Change, which it describes as the world's first ultra-slim cigarette with a flavour capsule in the filter.
Ownership timeline of ESSE
Where ESSE sits in KT&G
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full KT&G ownership tree →
Other brands owned by KT&G in tobacco & nicotine
Latest news about ESSE
No tagged news items yet. Deals, regulatory actions and recalls are added from SEC filings, regulators and trade press; only titles and links are stored.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of ESSE?
The parent company of ESSE is KT&G, a publicly listed company headquartered in South Korea.
Is ESSE South Korean?
Yes. ESSE originated in South Korea in 1996 and its owner, KT&G, is also headquartered in South Korea.
Is ESSE still owned by KT&G?
Yes. As of 21 September 2026, ESSE is still owned by KT&G. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] KT&G Launches its Global Brand ESSE in Germany, Making a Full-scale Entry into the European Market — KT&G Corporation, Official press release; retrieved 21 September 2026.
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