Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn.

Hanwha Group celebrated the 68th anniversary of its founding on Oct. 9. Unlike in previous years, this groupwide anniversary event was cancelled. Instead, each subsidiary of the group held its respective contactless anniversary event on Sept. 12 at the end of the Chuseok holiday.

In accordance with social distancing guidelines designed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, each subsidiary shifted its collective anniversary event into contactless paradigm.

Hanwha Group aired Chairman Kim Seung-youn’s anniversary speech via an in-house broadcasting system on the morning of Sept. 12. Each subsidiary of the group held an awards ceremony for long-term employees at a division or team level.

In his commemorative speech, Chairman Kim called for strong leadership in the post-COVID-19 era by seizing the crisis as a “catalyst to create the future.” He proposed key buzzwords such as “Post-COVID-19,” “Digital” and “Sustainability.”

Defining the current COVID-19 pandemic as a new crisis that has never been experienced before, Chairman Kim stressed the significance of the establishment of business strategies amid a changing industry landscape, and the nourishing of leadership capabilities.

Kim also spoke about the need for the establishment of a nimble system to cope with a crisis by building digital-based infrastructure and a corporate culture amid an avoidable environment by making daily life contactless.

He also called for expediting digital innovation to create an advanced financing environment in the financial sector, building a smart factory environment employing AI and big data in the manufacturing field, and providing to customers experiences that have been upgraded at higher levels with digital technologies in the service sector.

Chairman Kim also delivered a message of calling for making Hanwha a sustainable company through “responsible and transparent management.” He emphasized the need for redoubling efforts to ensure innovation and awareness toward the environment as a leader of global eco-friendly market economy in areas such as photovoltaic power, green hydrogen energy solution and eco-friendly plastic material businesses.

He did not forget to give words of encouragement to the group’s executives and staff who are struggling to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, which is threatening to be contagious. He asked them to stay healthy in the crisis of the spread of the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Hanwha Group conducted relay volunteer activities on the occasion of the 68th anniversary. Each subsidiary’s operations plans to carry out volunteer activities with local communities, which are done on contactless channels or in compliance with social distancing guidelines.

Five subsidiaries, including Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Defense, which are located in the Pangyo area, plan to hold contactless evens in which executives and staff donate their personal belongings.

Officials from Hanwha Defense’s second Changwon Plant were involved in lessons of learning gukak, traditional Korean music or plan to donate 20 handcarts to the elderly.

Hanwha Group plans to perform diverse activities that make the 68th anniversary worthwhile in accordance with its founding tenet of creating businesses to contribute to the development of the nation and its social contribution management tenet “Together, Looking Forward.”

Hanwha Group Headquarters in downtown Seoul. (Photos: Hanwha Group)

Hanwha Group Heir-Apparent Kim Promoted to President

Hanwha Group’s heir-apparent Kim Dong-kwan has been promoted to chief of the strategy division of Hanwha Solutions, the group’s energy, chemicals and materials unit.

Hanwha Solutions President Kim was promoted to president in charge of strategy at Hanwha Solutions, and he was as well appointed to CEO of Hanwha Group’s strategy division.

Hanwha Group Headquarters in downtown Seoul. (Photos: Hanwha Group)