CJ Group Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, citing worsening internal and external uncertainties, urged each business of the group to be outfitted with “super difference competitiveness.”
In his New Year’s message issued over the in-house broadcasting network on Jan. 2, Chairman Sohn said, “Our company stands at a desperately serious crossroads in which a good opportunity could be made, or we could be weeded out of the market according to how we cope with a crisis.”
He predicted a prolonged and unprecedented period of multiple structural changes, such as rapid changes in global trade and the political situation amid continued domestic consumption slump, an aging population, economic bipolarization, climate change and the acceleration of AI innovation.
“The global economy and security landscapes will undergo dramatic changes in the wake of the United States’ strengthening of protectionist trade moves upon the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second-term administration, and if stop-gap measures are taken without fundamental competitiveness, a serious crisis will ensue in the case of inside and outside management environment changes,” Chmn. Sohn said.
“When each business has secured deed-rooted super difference competitiveness, it can continue to grow without wavering in the case of even multiple crises.”
Chairman Sohn suggested two core tasks for growth with a competitive edge.
He called for aggressively pushing efforts to secure growth engines by expanding its global presence. Sohn demanded they solidify the fundamentals of domestic businesses and securing growth engines through global businesses.
“Last year saw exports recover a little bit and general price hikes slow down, but many worksites suffer hardships due to prolonging of declining domestic consumption,” he said.
Chairman Sohn said, “Looking back at our group’s achievements last year, the first year of executing the ‘2426 Mid-Term Strategies for the Reconstruction of OnlyOne,’ we fell short of securing a secure competitive edge by focusing on short-term responses and building a full foundation for future growth.”
“If and when we take a challenging attitude amid a crisis, we can obtain our group’s growth and development, and I hope this year will be a year in which our group’s growth can be restored by accelerating challenging toward the global market,” he said.
CJ Group Chmn. Lee Jay-hyun presides over a CEOs’ meeting of the business group and subsidiaries last Nov. 20.
CJ Chmn. Lee Calls for ‘Desperately Pursuing Global Leap Forward’
CJ Group held a groupwide CEOs’ management meeting with CJ Group Chmn. Lee Jay-hyun and CEOs of the group’s major subsidiaries in attendance. Chmn. Lee stressed the group’s overall competitiveness growth during the meeting.
CJ Group said on Nov. 25 that the CEOs’ meeting took place at CJ Manpower Institute in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 18 - two days after the group conducted a regular executives’ reshuffle.
Among those on hand at the meeting were CJ Corp. President Kim Hong-ki, President Huh Min-hoe, head of the Management Support at CJ Corp., President Kang Shin-ho of CJ Cheiljedang, President Shin Young-soo of CJ Logistics, and President Lee Sun-jung of CJ Olive Young and President Yoon Sang-hyun of CJ ENM.
Participants of the meeting made a presentation of topics on global economic outlooks and the direction of policies under the new U.S. administration as well as Korea’s economic outlooks in 2025 and trends of major industries and exchanged views.
Speaking on the theme of competitiveness growth, Chmn. Lee said, “CJ will have to have an insight into not only short-term outcomes but also future growth since opportunities for global growth are opened, and domestic businesses should not neglect innovation, such as digital transformation and development of new products.”
“Global cultural trends, such as K-food, K-content and K-pop have expanded concern over Korea, and CJ Group should consider the last chance to make a leap forward as a global company,” he said.
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