Vice Minister Chung Man-ki of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) delivers a commemorative speech at the 42nd National Quality Management Convention that took place at COEX Auditorium on Nov. 23.

MOTIE Vice Minister Chung and winners of orders and other prizes in recognition of their quality management activities pose for a group photo session.

The 42nd National Quality Management Convention, hosted by Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the umbrella of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and organized by Korea Standards Association (KSA), took place at COEX Auditorium on Nov. 23 with about 1,800 people, including prize winners, and quality management officials in their attendance.

The event, the 42nd rendition of National Quality Management Convention, took on significance as those who have contributed to quality innovation and spreading to quality management initiatives despite the external and internal business hardships were not only praised, but also it served as an arena in which they promoted solidarity among them.

A combined 437 individuals and organizations were presented with seven orders and medals, 24 presidential awards, 15 prime ministers’ prizes, and other awards in recognition of their contributions to promoting quality management activities and improving the industrial competitiveness during the convention.

In particular, 22 prizes out of 51 prizes or 43 percent of the prize-winning  individuals went to executives of SMEs and mid-size superstars, up from 36 percent in 2015. It indicates a tendency of getting quality management activities involving SMEs and mid-size superstars brisker. 

The Order of Industrial Service, Silver Tower, the coveted prize in the individual prize category, went to President Chung Chang-kil of Korea Midland Power Co. (KOMIPO) and Executive Vice President Hwang Won-jae , head of the Ulsan Complex at Poongsan. KOMIPO President Chung has been credited with his leading roles in the nation’s first development of a 1,000MW-class power facility technology and localizing of core parts. He has been also praised for his contribution to development of the national power industry through ensuring of a stable power supply and improving of quality by promoting companywide quality management initiatives and exploring overseas markets. 

Poongsan Executive Vice President Hwang has been merited for making continued R&D investment, establishing nationwide quality management regimes, and laying a solid foundation to spread awareness toward quality management while serving for 37 years in the metal industry. 

In particular, he has been credited with his contribution to making Poongsan’s plant the single one with the most-ever production capacity and world-class technology power in the copper and copper alloy sheets & strips and coin blank segments. 

Thirteen entities, including KEPCO E&C, were honored with the Presidential Award, the coveted organization category prize of the Korea National Quality Award. KEPCO E&C has been noted for making such strenuous efforts to secure a competitive edge as the introducing of the nation’s first nuclear power quality guarantee system. 

The company has been credited with its contributing to the development of the Korean national energy industry by exporting the nation’s first four nuclear power units through nuclear power unit design technology upgrades and achieving an annual average 15 percent growth.

A combined 297 quality circles from the industry fields won gold, silver and bronze prizes in the final round of the competition held on the same day. Until recently from June, 651 quality circles passed through regional preliminary and main completion rounds. Nineteen exemplary employees were selected as national quality masters in recognition of their dedicated efforts to ensure quality innovation in the industry fields and within quality circles.

The 42nd National Quality Management Convention gets under way with about 1,800 people, including prize winners, and quality management officials in their attendance.

In his commemorative speech, Vice Minister Chung Man-ki of the MOTIE praised those who have contributed to improving quality management and development of the national economy. Recognizing the significance of quality amidst external and inter uncertainties, he said, the government will push for a scheme to establish 10,000 smart factories by 2020 with the goal of rising to a powerhouse of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The convention also coincided with a ceremony to induct 48 winners of the 2016 Excellent Quality Competitiveness Enterprises, including Gumyoung General. In particular, an eye-catching focus is on Daelim Trading and KEPCO KPS’s making it to the list of Excellent Quality Competitiveness Enterprises for the 18th consecutive year. 

Daewoong Pharmaceutical and seven other companies gave it a first try and made it to the list of Excellent Quality Competitiveness Enterprises.

Gumyoung General has successfully passed a screening for inducting the Hall of Fame among companies which have made it to the list of Excellent Quality Competitiveness Enterprises for more than 10 years. The company’s inducting the Hall of Fame confirms high quality competitiveness it has attained through strenuous quality innovation activities. Gumyoung General has been credited with implementing continued technology improvement and quality innovation initiatives since its establishment in 1996. These quality management efforts have paid off: securing world-class technological power in the elevator safety/brake system segment. 

A combined 1,067 companies have made it to the list of Excellent Quality Competitiveness Enterprises since its inauguration in 1997 until 2016, the 20th rendition of the list. They include 506 SMEs, 357 large-sized companies, 155 public entities and 49 mid-size superstars. 

Companies which have achieved excellent management outcomes through quality management systems, technology and continued quality improvement efforts have been selected as Excellent Quality Competitiveness Enterprises each year. 

The award under the name “Top 100 Excellent Quality Competitiveness Enterprises,” sponsored by the KATS and organized by the KSA, celebrate the 20th rendition of the award. 

The award is designed to explore companies armed with a comprehensive competitive edge in terms of such categories as quality innovation and customer satisfaction.