SK Group is sponsoring art and cultural festivities in New York as part of business efforts to expand its presence in the US market.

The SUPEX Council, the group’s highest consultative panel, confirmed that five SK affiliates -- SK E&S, SKC, SK On, SK C&C and SK Ecoengineering -- will participate as corporate sponsors in the Lincoln Center's Summer for the City festival in New York from June 14 to Aug. 12.

It is the group's first time employing the key “Global Story” business strategy for a significant cultural event. “Global Story” refers to putting forward a win-win strategy aimed at sharing mutual understanding and respect for the sustainability of businesses, according to an official for the group.

An SK Group official stated that the company continues to invest in US markets such as for semiconductors and batteries.

“By participating in this cultural event, SK Group seeks to form a positive corporate image in the short term and gain the favor of locals for the group’s business in the US market in the long run,” he added.

Lincoln Center's Summer for the City is a large-scale cultural event that features thousands of artists from all over the world with more than 200 exhibits over the course of the summer.

This year's festival will present Korean Arts Week for the first time, meeting growing global demand for Korean culture. The program will host various events, including traditional dance performances and digital art, from July 19 to 23.

The highlight of the program is “One Dance,” directed by Jung Ku-ho with the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre. The performance will showcase a contemporary rendition of a royal ancestral ritual at Jongmyo shrine located in central Seoul and its music, which is inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.