“We have to set reform and improvement milestones faithfully and carry out not only long-term global business restructuring but also a business structure shift of domestic production center equipment and competitive innovation activities”
President & CEO Lee Young-jun, concurrently head of Lotte Group’s chemical division, delivered his New Year’s message on Jan. 5 in which he called for a great paradigm shift in 2026 for future growth.
President Lee said, “Amid hard management environment conditions, we have to set reform and improvement milestones faithfully and carry out not only long-term global business restructuring, but also a business structure shift of domestic production center equipment and competitive innovation activities.”
President Lee said he will maintain retrenchment management after fishing the business portfolio shift now under way.
His remarks may be construed as his willingness to concentrate resources and expand promising businesses with a comparatively competitive edge, and dramatically liquidate non-differentiated ones with a weak competitive edge.
He asked for conducting continuous management innovation activities and the Portfolio Strategy Office’s (PSO) exploring synergetic effects among businesses.
President Lee also spoke of securing functional material business foundation.
Lee said, “We have to explore functional material businesses related to Lotte Chemical’s business capabilities in areas, such as future low-carbon energy technology, semiconductor, AI, mobility and bio and make them future growth foundation.”
He added that his company aims to make a business portfolio shift in which functional compounds, semiconductor process materials, green materials, functional copper coils and eco-friendly energy materials (hydrogen/ammonia) account for more than 60 percent in portion.
Park In-cheol of the ESG Management Division at Lotte Chemical gives a welcoming speech at the Safety Partnership targeting Lotte Chemical’s cooperative partners at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul, on Jan. 21.
Lotte Chemical Fosters Shared Safety Culture with Partners
Lotte Chemical hosted the ‘Safety Partnership’ forum for its partner companies on Jan. 21 at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul.
The forum was designed to support the establishment of autonomous occupational health and safety management systems through two-way communication between Lotte Chemical and its partners, as well as to share key issues related to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
Through this initiative, the company aims to enhance the safety management capabilities of its partners and create safer workplaces.
The event was attended by representatives and Chief Safety Officers (CSOs) from 38 on-site partner companies of LOTTE Chemical, who shared best practices and inspection results related to occupational health and safety management.
The program was structured to promote close information sharing and cooperation between Lotte Chemical and its partners on safety and health management.
Key sessions included briefings on recent precedents and trends related to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, training on compliance requirements for executive management, and sharing of partners’ safety management status and future plans, all focused on practical content that can be immediately applied in the field.
Park In-cheol, Head of Lotte Chemical’s ESG Management Division, said, “This forum serves as an opportunity for our company and our partners to communicate together as one safety community,” adding, “Based on the shared belief that all accidents are preventable, we will provide all resources necessary to create safe working environments and prevent accidents.”
Lotte Chemical Announces 2025 Business Results
LOTTE Chemical announced on Feb. 4 that it recorded revenue of 18,483.0 billion won and an operating loss of 943.6 billion won in 2025 on a consolidated basis.
Last year, Lotte Chemical proactively advanced the restructuring of its domestic commodity petrochemical business, securing optimal facility utilization rates and carrying out operational rationalization.
The company also continued to strengthen its financial soundness and core business competitiveness through the disposal of non-core assets.
Lotte Chemical stated, “In 2026, we plan to execute our strategy centered on two key pillars—reducing the proportion of commodity petrochemical businesses within our portfolio and establishing a foundation for future growth,” adding that it will “accelerate the expansion of high-performance materials and eco-friendly energy businesses.”
The company also noted, “We will expand high value-added product lines such as Super EP, leveraging the Yulchon compounding plant scheduled for completion this year, complete construction of the cathode foil plant in the U.S. within this year, and gradually expand our battery materials business including functional copper foil products such as AI circuit foil.”
_이영준 롯데화학군 총괄대표.jpg)
_롯데케미칼 Safety Partnership 포럼 개최.JPG)
