President Kim Hoe-chun of Korea South-East Power Co. (KOEN)

President Kim Hoe-chun speaks as he took office as the eighth president of Korea South-East Power Co. (KOEN) at KOEN headquarters in Jinju, Gyoengsangnam-do, on April 26. (Photos: KOEN)

Kim Hoe-chun, former senior executive vice president in charge of management support at Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), took office as the eighth president of Korea South-East Power Co. (KOEN).

He began his three-year term at KOEN headquarters in Jinju, Gyoengsangnam-do, on April 26.

KOEN President Kim said, “The world is facing with many challenges and tasks amid waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our company is no exception.”

“Decarbonization and low-carbon movement is getting fast, demand for ESG investments and digital innovation is on the rise, and social voices toward safe worksites are getting louder,” he said.

Kim disclosed three management tasks: a sustainable company that can spearhead the future, a company pursing safety as a top priority, and a company pursuing shared growth.

If all KOEN family members join forces in concentrating their capabilities, he said, KOEN will be a “global smart energy leader.”

To this end, Kim said KOEN should be a sustainable company that can spearhead the future, prioritize safety than any value and become a company that grows not only with its company members, but also the local region, with broader society and stakeholders.

In accordance with this visit and management’s new direction, President Kim pledged to implement five management tasks: improving the efficiency of the conventional coal-fired power generation business, expanding renewal energy development and putting into practice management prioritizing safety, rational personnel management and trust on top of labor-management relations based on trust and collaboration, building an energy ecosystem for shared growth, and strategically exploring overseas renewable energy markets.

What is more important than anything is communications, Kim said. If all KOEN family members communicate with each other and accumulate trust, what they will desire and dream will come naturally said Kim, adding that he, a KOEN member, will aggressively put it into practice and make efforts.

President Kim was born in Gangneung, Gangwon-do, in 1960. He graduated from Daegwang High School in Seoul and Kookmin University Public Administration Department.

Kim earned a master’s degree in public administration from Yeonsei University Public Administration Graduate School and a master’s degree from the Helsinki School of Economics, now Alto University.

Kim has been with Korea Electric Power Corp. for about 35 years since he entered the power company in 1985. He held major KEPCO positions, such as chief of staff at the president’s secretariat, head of the Namseoul Regional Headquarters, chief of the Management Division, and senior executive vice president in charge of management support.

While working at KEPCO, he has been credited with contributing to implementing major projects such as overcoming a financial crisis and normalizing management of the power company fraught with losses, building the “Bitgaram Energy Valley,” the new energy ecosystem, establishing a national crisis response regime and building safe worksites.

As Kim was honored with the Order of Civil Merit, Mongryeon Medal, he is evaluated to be a seasoned expert in the Korean power industry.

About KOEN

KOEN Co., Ltd. was established in 2001 being separated from the electricity generation department of KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation).

KOEN is supplying the economical power stably to the consumers which is the driving force of the national industry development and essential energy for the cultural life of the people from six power generation complexes, including Samcheonpo TP. And the power company is equipped with the facilities capacity of 10 percent of the overall in the nation.

To reform the organization as a global energy company creating the future, KOEN established the management principles of ‘value creation’ for the nation development, ‘innovation and growth’ for the realization of sustainable growth by internalization of innovation and ‘communication and trust’ for the open management and building trust both internal and external.

KOEN has put the utmost effort from the whole to achieve the principles. KOEN has actively developed the activities to secure the global standard technology by selecting 10 core technologies including new & renewable energy field.