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Sae-A first Korean textile company to receive new int'l sustainable certification

Published: 14 Oct. 2025, 14:12 Updated: 14 Oct. 2025, 20:19

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

A Better Cotton Initiative inspector visits the Win Textile factory to conduct an on-site inspection of the cotton usage process. [GLOBAL SAE-A]

Sae-A Trading, one of Korea’s largest clothing manufacturers, has become the first company in the country’s textile industry to receive a new international certification for using and tracking sustainable cotton throughout its production process, the company announced on Tuesday.

The certification comes from the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), the world’s largest program for promoting environmentally friendly and socially responsible cotton farming. It confirms that Sae-A Trading is not only using sustainable cotton, but also properly managing and verifying it from raw material through to finished product, adding a new layer of transparency to how the company makes clothes.

BCI launched the new Physical Chain of Custody standard in 2024. Unlike earlier systems that relied mainly on paperwork, this version requires third-party auditors to visit factories in person to check whether certified cotton is actually being used and tracked at every stage — spinning, weaving, sewing and shipping.

To meet those standards, Sae-A Trading underwent a series of inspections this year at its facilities in Costa Rica, Indonesia and Korea. Auditors looked at how the company managed cotton supplies, tracked shipments and used digital systems to prove that its garments were made with sustainable materials.

Sae-A Trading can now use BCI’s digital tracking platform to give its global clients real-time updates on where and how the cotton in their clothes was sourced and processed.

“This certification demonstrates that Sae-A Trading has established one of the most advanced sustainable cotton management systems, in line with global standards,” said Jacob Park, Manager of the Global Procurement Division at Sae-A Trading. “Going forward, we will extend certification across our sewing facilities in Southeast Asia and Central America, further scaling our use of sustainable materials and reinforcing our leadership in responsible apparel manufacturing.”

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]