"Overlooking AI Means an Uncertain Future"‥World Class Companies Association CEO Workshop Successfully Concluded

The World Class Enterprise Association announced on the 15th that it held a CEO workshop over two days starting from the 12th at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong Resort.

The World Class CEO Workshop is a large-scale annual event held once a year to promote an innovative mindset in response to changes in the business environment, as well as to facilitate information exchange among member companies.

This workshop was attended by over 80 participants, including CEOs and executives of member companies of the World Class Enterprise Association, as well as officials from related organizations such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Industrial Promotion Agency.

Speakers included Dr. Yang Jeong-hoon of the Yozma Group, Professor Oh Han-seok of Dankook University, Gu Ja-bok, CEO of Try-C Psychology Management, Dean Lee Hae-geun of Korea University, and Yoon Dong-han, Chairman of Kolmar Korea. Representing the government, Kim Jae-jun, Director at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, presented on the government's policy directions for mid-sized enterprises.

In particular, the workshop featured lectures on recent economic trends that CEOs must know, as well as trends in AI and ChatGPT, technologies regarded as revolutionary in reshaping the industrial landscape.

Dr. Yang Jeong-hoon of Yozma Group Korea explained the development history of AI technology and emphasized that AI's integration with smart factories and the bio industry is an "inevitable trend," citing examples where AI has innovatively increased productivity or led to the emergence of new technologies.

Professor Oh Han-seok of Dankook University explained, based on statistics showing a rapid increase in global investments, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), academic papers, and patents in the AI field, that "our companies will inevitably have to utilize AI for productivity improvement and management solutions."

However, he pointed out that South Korea's technology still lags significantly behind that of the United States and China, making various government supports more crucial than ever.

In response, Kim Jae-jun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "World Class Enterprises are becoming exemplars of Korea's premium corporate group," and added, "We will do our best to provide comprehensive support, including training specialized personnel and deregulation, so that mid-sized companies can secure global competitiveness."

Additionally, the workshop included lectures on "Leadership Qualities CEOs Must Have" and psychology lectures aimed at boosting employee morale and productivity.

Yoon Dong-han, Chairman of Kolmar Korea, explained the life of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, a historically recognized global leader, and said, "Our company CEOs need to learn from Yi Sun-sin’s meticulous management planning, close cooperation with surrounding companies, and the spirit of 'believing in victory'."

Gu Ja-bok, CEO of Try-C Psychology Management Research Institute, emphasized, "If managers understand people’s psychology well, it helps employees’ performance and growth. Especially to effectively motivate MZ generation employees, it is important to raise questions about why the work must be done and what needs to be done for team members, and to work together to find solutions."

Lee Jun-hyuk, Chairman of the World Class Enterprise Association and CEO of Dongjin Semichem, said, "The business environment is worsening due to the US-China hegemonic competition, global tightening, and the Ukraine war," and added, "As the saying '以患僞利 (turning worries into benefits)' goes, I hope the insights gained from this workshop will help member companies turn crises into opportunities."

Member companies attending the event said, "This workshop not only provided an opportunity to meet face-to-face after the pandemic and discuss ways to coexist amid the recent global economic downturn and prolonged trade deficits, but also served as a good chance to explore management strategies in line with government corporate support policies."

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