Chairman Huh Chang-soo of GS Group who also heads the Federation of Korean Industries as chairman.(Photos:GS Group)

Chairman Huh tours the Creative Economy Reform Center in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, along with key CEOs of the business group including V.Chmn. Huh Jin-soo of GS Caltex, which is located in Yeosu.

Chairman Huh Chang-soo of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) inspected the progress of the Creative Economy Reform Center being built in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, on April 28-29. He went there as soon as he returned to the country from an extended tour of Latin America. He had been among the business leaders accompanying President Park Geun-hye. 

The chairman, during his inspection of the center in Deokchoong-dong, Yeosu, which is slated to open this month, said the facility is aimed at spurring the regional economy and at the same time to spread the Creative Economy in the Honam Region, and therefore needs to be built with thorough preparations.

Most of GS Group’s leading executives were present, including Vice Chairman Huh Jin-soo of GS Caltex; Vice Chairman Rah Wan-bae of GS Energy; Vice Chairman Huh Myung-soo of GS Construction; Vice Chairman Huh Tae-soo of Gs Homeshopping; President Chung Taek-keun of GS Co. President Km Byung-il of GS Caltex; and President Huh Yeon-soo of GS Retail, among others.

The occasion has been considered a sign that GS Group will do all it can to make the center a success as a base for linking industry, academics and research activities in the southwest region of the country to create synergy in seeking out the excellent creative ideas and commercialize them to fan regional development.

In the meantime, Chairman Huh, in the second quarter meeting of some 150 key executives of the GS Group at the GS Tower in Seoul, said the group should spare no effort to make the Creative Economy Reform Center in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province a great facility to help the South Jeolla Region to spur its economy to achieve a win-win result in its operation when it opens later this month.

 “We should also do our best to achieve the new operation targets and turning our business portfolio into more high-quality ones by constantly on the alert in order to make us grow all the time,” he said. “We have to continue to make preemptive measures to cope with the changes in business environment based on the prepared bases, always be up for the creation of synergy among our different business lines and participate in the moves to make the Creative Economy a resounding success.”

He said it will not be easy, but everyone should do their best at all times to achieve targets, as they must be met at all costs no matter how tough they are.

“You have to always check if you are wasting manpower and materials as you manage your companies,” he said. “You have to check on the zero bases the chairman urges. You have to spread the seeds for change and reform to make the right occasions for them.”

He also reemphasized they should work hard to create synergy among their companies.

Huh also reminded the key executives of the group that the age of convergence has arrived and they should abandon shortsightedness and adapt to the new convergence age. He cited such new advanced commodities as 3-D printing and loT, among others, new reformative technologies, breaking up the borders between technologies and businesses.

“The opening of the Creative Economy Reform Center in Yeosu should be an occasion for our group to search for new businesses and changes so that a win-win result may be achieved both for GS and the South Jeolla Region,” he said. 

The chairman also reminded key executives that the group should continue to do its utmost to be a responsible corporate citizen and pursues sustainable growth thorough transparent management and doing its social duty to the fullest.