Economic Leaders Gathered at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vow to 'Revive Economic Vitality Beyond COVID-19'

KCCI's 'Economic Community New Year Meeting' Held
Choi Tae-won: "Creating Opportunities for Sustainable Growth is a Key Task"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), emphasized the new role of companies and public-private partnerships at the largest economic New Year's event, the 'New Year's Greeting Meeting.' This is interpreted as highlighting the importance of responding to the management environment where geopolitical risks are increasing, such as the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management trend and supply chain restructuring this year.

On the 4th, KCCI held the '2022 Economic Community New Year's Greeting Meeting' at the KCCI International Conference Hall, attended by about 100 key figures from various sectors including Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won, political and government officials, business circles, labor sectors, and foreign diplomats in Korea.

In his greeting, Chairman Chey said, "Now, called a time of great transformation, is when we must think about, judge, and take action on what we should do for future generations," adding, "In this era of upheaval marked by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, climate change, and changes in the global value chain, redefining the role of companies and creating sustainable growth opportunities is an important task for the sustainability of the economy."

Chairman Chey: "The true role of companies... We must reduce the perception gap between companies and the public, build consensus, and strive for change and practice"

Since his inauguration as KCCI chairman, Chey has been contemplating the new role of companies and seeking answers. He stated, "While companies have felt empathy and the need for change regarding public opinion, there has been a perception gap where some feel somewhat unfair about their social roles," emphasizing, "We intend to build a consensus on the true role of companies and unite efforts for corporate change and practice to enhance social value."

Meanwhile, the 'Economic Community New Year's Greeting Meeting' has been hosted by KCCI since 1962 and is the largest New Year's event in the economic sector, with major business leaders, government ministers, members of the National Assembly, foreign diplomats in Korea, and representatives from social organizations, academia, and the media attending in large numbers. Unlike last year’s non-face-to-face event, this year’s meeting was held in person for the first time in two years while adhering to COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

Attendees at the event included Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, as well as government officials such as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki and Minister of SMEs and Startups Kwon Chil-seung, along with figures from various economic and social sectors and foreign diplomats in Korea.

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