HMM Marks 50th Anniversary, Embarking on Journey as a Global Top-Tier Shipping Company

Announcing a New Vision
Choi Wonhyuk: "We Have Overcome Countless Hardships and Achieved Success Over Half a Century"

HMM announced on March 24 that it has unveiled a new vision and growth strategy to mark its 50th anniversary.

Choi Wonhyuk, CEO of HMM, delivered a commemorative speech at the ceremony held at the company's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, one day ahead of the founding anniversary (March 25). He stated, "We must embark on another journey toward becoming a centennial company, powered by our 50-year history," and emphasized, "Let us all work together toward becoming a global top-tier shipping company through change and innovation for the future."

Choi Wonhyuk, CEO of HMM, is delivering a commemorative speech at the "50th Anniversary Ceremony" held at the headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 24th. HMM

Due to conflicts over the relocation to Busan, the ceremony was held as an internal event on this day, attended by CEO Choi and approximately 100 employees.

HMM declared its new vision, "Move Beyond Maritime," which means "Driving greater value and a better future beyond shipping." The company reaffirmed its commitment to becoming the world's leading integrated shipping and logistics company.

To realize this vision, HMM presented the strategic direction "W.A.V.E," which encompasses talent, innovation, value, and eco-friendliness. As a core strategy for preparing for the future, it reflects the nature of the shipping industry, where the capabilities of skilled personnel are key to competitiveness. HMM aims to secure future competitiveness through AI-based innovation, pursue value-driven growth that is resilient to external factors, and lead the transition to eco-friendliness so as to drive market change.

CEO Choi expressed his gratitude to employees, saying, "Over the past half-century, we have faced countless choices and challenges, hardships, and successes. All of our achievements are thanks to the dedicated efforts of those who have worked at sea and on sites both domestically and abroad."

HMM started in 1976 with three oil tankers and expanded into the full container business in 1986, later extending its network to the European route, one of the world’s three major shipping lanes. In 1994, it launched the nation’s first LNG carrier, and in 1997, the company achieved a profit for ten consecutive years in the highly volatile shipping industry, continuing its growth trajectory.

Although HMM faced significant difficulties during the global shipping recession in the 2010s, it ushered in a new era of growth in 2020 by introducing 20 ultra-large container vessels, including the "HMM Algeciras," the world's largest container ship at 24,000 TEU at the time. That year, the company returned to profitability, and in 2022, it recorded its highest-ever operating profit of 994.55 billion won.

In addition, HMM became the first Korean shipping company to secure eco-friendly fuel container ships powered by methanol and LNG, and established an integrated vessel control center to implement big data analysis systems. The company is at the forefront of enhancing eco-friendly competitiveness and driving digital transformation (DX).

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