Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motor, SK, and Others Have Quiet Year-End Without Closing Ceremonies... Opening Ceremonies Held Online

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[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] As the spread of COVID-19 continues ahead of the New Year, major domestic companies including Samsung Electronics are quietly wrapping up the year without holding separate year-end closing ceremonies. In the atmosphere of omitting large-scale events, the opening ceremonies are also being conducted online or replaced with messages from the heads of the companies or CEOs.

According to the business community on the 27th, Samsung Electronics and other Samsung affiliates plan to spend the end of this year without separate events. Samsung has already been ending the year without holding most year-end closing ceremonies by affiliate or business site for several years.

Instead, they have held opening ceremonies every year. Next year, Samsung Electronics plans to hold an event on the 3rd of next month at its headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, attended by the CEO and some employees. Considering the COVID-19 situation, only a small number will attend, and messages will be delivered to employees through online live streaming. Samsung Electronics usually delivers CEO messages at the opening ceremony, but this time, Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee is expected to travel to the U.S. to attend CES2022, so President Kyung Kye-hyun may deliver the message.

LG Group does not hold separate year-end closing or opening ceremonies and encourages employees to take leave during the last week of December every year. Chairman Koo Kwang-mo delivered an early New Year's address on the 20th, creating an atmosphere for the entire group to calmly wrap up the year and prepare for the new year. Major affiliates including LG Electronics officially finished work on the 24th, and it is reported that a significant number of employees have gone on vacation.

Hyundai Motor Group is also wrapping up this year without special events. The opening ceremony is expected to be held online on the 3rd of next month. Since Chairman Chung Eui-sun delivered a message via video at the beginning of this year to "achieve a great transformation toward new growth engines," there is a possibility that management messages will be delivered early next year as well. Chairman Chung had planned to travel to the U.S. to attend CES2022 but is reportedly reconsidering this due to the COVID-19 situation.

SK Group will also omit the opening ceremony early next year as it did at the beginning of this year. Chairman Chey Tae-won plans to replace it with a New Year's greeting to employees via email. Hanwha Group is currently reviewing whether to hold a group opening ceremony early next year.

LS Group, whose chairman was replaced by Koo Ja-eun, is preparing to hold both offline and online opening ceremonies on January 3rd next year but is also considering switching to a non-face-to-face format due to COVID-19. Chairman Koo, who was appointed as the head of the group at the end of last month, recently delivered a message at an internal event saying, "For LS to grow further and become a more competitive global company, 'additional differentiation' beyond the existing differentiation is necessary."

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