Choi Tae-won breaks the mold even in conversations with new employees... "Please practice pursuing happiness for the whole society"

Chairman Choi: "Measuring and Designing How to Spend Money and Time Makes Pursuing Happiness Easier"
Following the 'New Year's Gathering Without a New Year's Address,' an Informal Communication Session with New Employees at Walkerhill on the 15th
Conversations Between Senior and Junior Members on a 'Madangnori'-Style Stage, Along with Real-Time SNS Q&A

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] "Chairman, what kind of videos do you usually watch on YouTube?" "Please recommend some restaurants you often visit." "What books do you read?" "What do you do in your leisure time?" "What is happiness?"

On the 15th, at the Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, during the 'Group New Employee Training - Conversation with the Chairman,' SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won was bombarded with indiscriminate questions from employees born in the 1990s. Chairman Chey stood on a stage designed like a traditional Korean outdoor play (madangnori), sweating at some questions and bursting into hearty laughter at others. When sharing his beliefs about 'happiness management,' his passion was palpable. About 700 SK Group executives and new employees attended the event.

Chairman Chey said, "Based on youthful vigor, please inject fresh stimuli for the pursuit of community happiness," adding, "Such actions can connect to happiness not only for SK but for our entire society." He further emphasized, "For the pursuit of happiness, it is important to extract, measure, and design data on how and where you spend your time, money, and effort."

The dialogue with SK Group new employees began in 1979 when the late founder Chairman Chey Jong-hyun started the event to directly explain the group's management philosophy and vision to new hires. This year marks its 41st anniversary.

This year's conversation with new employees boldly broke the existing mold. The distance between the stage and the audience, which was 7 meters until last year, was reduced to 2 meters this year. The intention was to lower the barrier to communication by narrowing the physical distance. The stage was placed in the center of the audience like a madangnori performance.

Last year, executives took the stage for a panel discussion, but this year, a 'Wise Workplace Life' segment was prepared where senior members shared workplace know-how with new employees.

The dress code also became more casual. Chairman Chey, executives, and new employees all attended in simple casual attire instead of formal suits. This allowed new employees to participate more freely in conversations and communicate with management.

Chairman Chey emphasized that SK's happiness management aims not only for the happiness of its members but also for the sustainability of society. The executives attending the event reiterated Chairman Chey's philosophy that for happiness management to go beyond slogans and lead to real results, it is important to measure data related to each individual's pursuit of happiness and provide incentives.

Meanwhile, major figures such as Cho Dae-sik, Chairman of the SK Supex Council; Jang Dong-hyun, President of SK Inc.; Kim Jun, President of SK Innovation; Park Jung-ho, President of SK Telecom; Park Sung-wook, ICT Committee Chairman; Seo Jin-woo, Talent Development Committee Chairman; and Lee Hyung-hee, SV Committee Chairman also attended the event in large numbers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.