Kangwon Land has grabbed the grand prize in the public sector category of the 2012 Idea Management Awards for the second straight time from the Korea Suggestion System Association (KSSA) at Seoul Grand Ambassador on Dec. 10. A driving force behind the growth of Kangwon Land, Korea’s representative resort, which is well known as High1 Resort, is to encourage staff members to suggest creative ideas. They may propose ideas in the reducing of production costs, the boosting of sales and other areas. The number of ideas Kangwon Land staff members have brought so far this year reaches as much as roughly 4,000. 

Kangwon Land organized a public contest of ideas designed to innovate the way staff members work early this year. The company has selected and implemented 238 out of contestants’ proposals before sharing the outcomes of the implementation among them, building a foundation for creating a corporate culture in which staff members can make innovative idea suggestions part of their daily work. 

Kangwon Land, which now marks the 12th anniversary this year, has been concentrating on converting the deserted coal-mining town in the southern region of Gangwon-do into one of the best tourist attractions in Korea through the casino industry as a national project. The company’s dream is to restore and preserve the surrounding environment - which had been stained by abandoned mines - and grow into a high-class tourist town that makes the best use of the natural features of Gangwon-do in the near future.

From the golf course and ski resort that gave full consideration to the environment to the Haneulgil Hiking Trail converted from the road that used to carry coal in the past, the five-star hotel and condominium with luxurious and convenient resting space, the convention center capable of accommodating international events, and the Water World, the transformation of High1 Resort continues.

Furthermore, as the resort that offers things to see, eat, and enjoy in all seasons, the resort has events and family-like services such as various play facilities, music fountain, fireworks show, and luminarte that will surely make your leisure time more pleasant.

Kangwon Land has seen its standing rise as it has become the first resort company to be put on the Dow Jones Sustainability Jones Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia Pacific Index).

The company has diverse ways of promoting idea suggestions among staff members working for diverse fields ranging from hotel to casino, ski resort to business planning. For instance, it is employing a system in which staff members have meetings to propose ideas the time and the place they want.

Also noteworthy in promoting innovative idea suggestions is a strong reward system, calling for, among others, offering mileages to individuals according to classifications of idea suggestions being adopted. The mileages each person has earned can be converted into cash. A cash reward varying according to outcomes plus monthly and yearly idea proposal awards are also offered. Yearly idea proposal award winners can go for overseas training courses. 

Kangwon Land has selected excellent employees in recognition of their contribution to suggesting innovative ideas. During this year, 24 select employees have undergone the Triz process, a way of structuring the process of innovation.

Diverse events to encourage idea suggestions are in place. Employees at Kangwon Land are participating in volunteer activities to donate mileages. The money being collected by converting each mileage into 100 won will be used for giving a helping hand to the unfortunate people. The company has chipped in 12 million won so far and doled out the money to children’s study rooms and worksites for the unfortunate and elderly.

Kangwon Land CEO Choi Hung-jib said “The idea suggestion program, designed to make customers moving, the neighborhood dynamic and employees hopeful, is part of Kangwon Land’s management tenets that can be translated into action.”

HIGH1, A  GLOBALLY-SCALED SKI AREA 

Developed in Sabuk-eup and Gohan-eup, Jeongseon-gun, and opened in December 2006, High1 features over 21 km of ski slopes within an area of 4.98 square kilometers. The ski grounds include a 403-room resort hotel, two ski houses, two rest areas, and an observatory at the top of the mountain. There are 18 slopes at High1 resort. All of the slopes are at least 1.5 km in length, while the longest slope stretches for 4.2 km. The average width of the slopes is 40 meters, which is almost the same width as a 10-lane motorway. Among these slopes, 11 received international authorization from FIS.

High1 was admitted as a globally-scaled ski area, with three slopes officially authorized for use in World Cup ski competitions. Furthermore, High1 contains special slopes and facilities for disabled patrons. In 2008, the High1 ski resort hosted over 100 athletes from 13 countries who participated in the IPC international World Cup for the disabled.