Hanjin Group Marks 80th Anniversary: From a Single Truck to New Frontiers in Aerospace and AI (Comprehensive)

From a Single Truck to a Comprehensive Logistics Company
New CI Unveiled for the 80th Anniversary: A Reinterpretation of the "H"
"Doubling Revenue by the 100th Anniversary Through Aerospace and AI"

Joon-tae Cho, Chairman of Hanjin Group, is speaking at the 80th anniversary event held on the 23rd at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Korean Air

Hanjin Group, which started with a single truck immediately after Korea’s liberation and has grown into the nation’s leading transport and logistics group, will celebrate its 80th anniversary on November 1. Under the three generations of leadership-Cho Jung-hoon, Cho Yang-ho, and Cho Won-tae-the company has pledged to become a 100-year innovator, expanding from aerospace to artificial intelligence (AI).

At the 80th anniversary event held on the 23rd at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Cho Won-tae, Chairman of Hanjin Group, stated, “Based on the founding philosophy of ‘contributing to the nation through transportation’ established by the late founder Cho Jung-hoon and the dedication of the late former Chairman Cho Yang-ho, we have continuously pioneered new paths in logistics. Building on the Hanjin Group heritage shared by all affiliates, we will establish ourselves as the world’s leading comprehensive logistics company, loved for 100 years and beyond.”

Warehouse of Hanjin Trading Company in the 1950s. On November 1, 1945, the late Cho Jung-hoon, the founder who was a 25-year-old young man at the time, established Hanjin Trading Company in Haean-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. Korean Air

Hanjin Group began its journey three months after Korea’s liberation, on November 1, 1945, when it launched Hanjin Trading Company in Haean-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. At the time, founder Cho Jung-hoon, then 25 years old, had only a single truck and an office as assets. Within just five years, Hanjin Trading Company rapidly grew into a logistics firm with about 40 employees and more than 30 trucks.

The group’s next major opportunity came in 1969. President Park Chung-hee at the time requested that Hanjin acquire the state-run Korean Air Lines (KAL), which was suffering chronic deficits. Despite facing many challenges, such as the Middle East war and the oil shock, Hanjin overcame these crises by actively introducing new aircraft and pioneering international routes. The acquisition of Korean Air became the decisive turning point that brought Hanjin Group to the forefront of the business world.

Korean Air at the time of its first flight on the Los Angeles (LA) route on April 19, 1972. Korean Air

After the death of founder Cho Jung-hoon in 2002, Hanjin Group pursued growth under the leadership of the late former Chairman Cho Yang-ho, focusing on aviation, logistics, tourism, and hotels. A notable achievement was the launch of the low-cost carrier Jin Air in 2008.

Another leap forward came after Cho Won-tae became chairman in 2019. Shortly after taking office, he faced the COVID-19 pandemic and proposed using passenger aircraft as cargo planes. Korean Air managed to post a profit in the midst of the aviation industry shock by utilizing cargo planes. In December last year, Chairman Cho successfully acquired another major full-service carrier, Asiana Airlines, and is now aiming for Korean Air to become one of the world’s top 10 airlines.

Cho Hyunmin, President of Hanjin, is speaking at the 80th anniversary event held on the 23rd at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Korean Air

At the event, Hanjin Group’s executives reflected on the company’s 80-year history and emphasized their commitment to becoming a 100-year innovator. Johan Min Cho, President of Hanjin, declared, “We are announcing ‘Group Vision 2045,’ a future strategy to take another leap toward the next 100 years. We aim to become a comprehensive logistics company spanning aerospace, future mobility, and e-commerce, and to lead innovation in logistics technology through AI-based hyper-automation.” Ryu Kyung-pyo, Vice Chairman of Hanjin KAL, stated, “We will strive to double our revenue by the 100th anniversary.”

New Corporate Identity (CI) of Hanjin Group

To mark its 80th anniversary, Hanjin Group unveiled a new corporate identity (CI) that reinterprets the group’s symbolic “H” mark. The soft upward curve representing the “H” signifies flexibility and dynamism, while the surrounding open circular design embodies an open attitude and cooperation toward the global market. President Cho explained, “Since the ‘H’ mark was originally designed by founder Cho Jung-hoon himself, we decided to retain it, but updated it to give a more modern impression.”

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