Kim Young-seop, New KT CEO, Denies Restructuring Possibility... "We Must Move Forward Together"

First Steps After Inauguration: Communicating with Employees
"LG CNS and KT Are Different... No Exams"
"Strengthen IT Capabilities to Become ICT Experts"

Kim Young-seop, the newly appointed CEO of KT, met with employees as his first step after taking office. He dismissed concerns about large-scale restructuring and shared future management directions through an informal town hall meeting.

Immediately after being appointed at the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held on the 30th, CEO Kim held an inauguration ceremony at the KT Bundang office and had a Q&A session with executives and employees.

CEO Kim Young-seop is answering employees' questions at the inauguration ceremony held at KT Bundang Office.
[Photo by KT]

When asked about organizational and personnel plans after his inauguration, CEO Kim replied, "Because there was a management gap, personnel and organizational restructuring should be carried out as soon as possible, but since most KT employees have an excellent sense of workplace ethics, I believe we need to move forward together." He added, "While managing the organization, I think we need to create a culture where people are recognized with natural and reasonable treatment and rewards."

CEO Kim was regarded as a leading restructuring expert at LG. Since a new strategy must be devised under the new CEO system, some speculated that Kim would initiate large-scale restructuring after taking office. However, he prioritized organizational stability over change. In September, only essential business divisions will undergo pinpoint personnel and organizational restructuring, with a large-scale effort expected at the end of the year. To this end, before his inauguration, CEO Kim rejected suggestions and proposals to form a transition committee and instead met directly with KT management to discuss current issues.

In the past, CEO Kim introduced a technical competency level evaluation system during his time at LG CNS. This raised the possibility of implementing tests for employee evaluations at KT. Regarding questions about measuring employee capabilities, he stated, "LG CNS is an IT-specialized company and has a different nature from KT," and emphasized, "Competency tests are not the ultimate goal to aim for." He also said, "There are always recognized experts, and we need to create a virtuous cycle centered around them."

As an urgent task for KT, he pointed to a customer-centric culture. CEO Kim said, "What I keep in mind throughout my life is the 'customer,'" and added, "A culture firmly grounded in thinking about the customer is necessary." He continued, "For KT to develop and become strong, customers must recognize our services. Along with this, capability, substance, and harmony are also important."

Additionally, CEO Kim stated that strengthening information technology (IT) capabilities is essential for KT's growth. He said, "KT has done well in communication technology (CT), and we need to gather capabilities more rapidly in IT to become masters of information and communication technology (ICT)," adding, "Once we have the top ICT capabilities to provide strong support, there will be many opportunities for growth in various fields."

As a corporate culture to be built in the future, he cited creating a virtuous cycle structure by innovating, growing, and sharing fulfillment together. Addressing employees, he said, "You must become the top experts in your respective fields," and added, "Both you and I must become masters, harmonize like masters, and work in a manner befitting masters."

After the inauguration ceremony, CEO Kim met with the KT labor union. He also visited the Gwacheon Network Control Center, demonstrating his on-site management approach.

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