Against backdrop of political turmoil, economic uncertainties, Korea's corporate giants look to future with AI, sustainable growth.

After enduring a tumultuous year marked by political upheaval and economic slowdown, Korean companies have stepped into 2025 with a sense of urgency and ambition.
The gravity of this year’s challenge is apparent, as the economy continues to grapple with political turmoil at home while anticipating sweeping policy shifts under the second Trump administration in Washington. Yet, company chiefs express confidence that the resilience of Korea Inc. can leverage adversity for growth.
Artificial intelligence, sustainable growth, innovation, technological breakthroughs and customer-centric strategies were overarching themes in the New Year’s messages from top executives of major companies.
The visions articulated by these leaders reflect a shared determination to redefine Korea’s industrial and technological might amid fierce global competition.
“As artificial intelligence technology reaches a pivotal turning point, bold innovations that transcend existing pathways to success are required. Through advanced intelligence, let’s firmly establish ourselves as a clear leader in device AI this year. The future driven by AI will provide us numerous opportunities. We are committed to discovering new products, businesses and innovative models early on, while making bold investments in future technologies and talent.”
“We need to begin the new year that exceeds the last year in every aspect. It is not just about financial success, but about continuously innovating to make up for our shortcomings and enhance our core capabilities to become a top-tier company. To achieve this, we must prioritize technological innovation, the source of our competitiveness, and mobilize all organizational resources to release innovative products with the highest quality and performance to the market at the right time.”
“Our response to the anticipated crisis will determine whether we seize a golden opportunity or fall behind in the market. With global interest in Korean culture continuing to rise, new opportunities are emerging across the food, logistics, entertainment and beauty industries. Looking beyond our mid-term goals, we aim to lay the foundation to become the world’s leading food and entertainment company.”
“In the coming year, it is essential to restore our competitive edge in core business areas through more intensive rebranding efforts. We have developed a distinct DNA that enables us to turn potential crises into opportunities, overcoming challenges along the way.”
“Hanwha’s key businesses are now competing with world class companies, extending far beyond the domestic market. We must go beyond participating in the international market and strive to achieve the highest level of competitiveness expected by customers in each country.”
“As 2025 marks GS Group’s 20th anniversary of its establishment, we will turn this year into an opportunity to make a leap by reviving our founding mindset of taking on challenges amid changes. We must look for bold investment opportunities while strengthening our capabilities to cope with change.”
“2025 calls for bold decisions and resilience. Let’s strengthen our crisis response system, cultivate unique competitiveness and prioritize customer-driven innovation. The way we work defines who we are. We will turn challenges into opportunities and secure a sustainable future as one united LX team.”
“Despite rising prices and a worsening recession, we must continue to challenge ourselves and grow. Customers who have already experienced Shinsegae have become trend leaders -- they won’t turn back the clock. Our goal is to meet the evolving needs of our loyal customers and continue striving to exceed their expectations.”
“Faced with radical changes in the industrial paradigm, driven by the evolution of cutting-edge technology, we need to sincerely reconsider our approach to our customers. We can secure our future only by understanding the needs of the people who use our products and preparing for their evolving demands in the long run.”
“Let’s unite our efforts to navigate through the chaos and build a lasting Hyosung, one that will be regarded as the world’s most solid and reliable foundation for over 100 years. This year’s keyword is ‘communication.’ I request all members of Hyosung to break down barriers and listen carefully to others‘ perspectives.
"Looking at the speed of technological developments, how companies utilize artificial intelligence across all areas will make or break them in the future. We have to gather all available capabilities to set up Doosan’s own AI ecosystem.”
“Posco Group, which has created the fundamentals of Korea‘s industry and achieved growth through expanding its business horizons, is now on a tipping point to ascend to a leading global company by developing materials that open humanity’s thriving future, overcoming challenging crises. Let’s prioritize safety and prepare for the future from a long-term perspective to build a foundation for sustainable and steady growth.”
“Earnings should be diversified by expanding business territories and advancing into non-financial sectors. Considering the ease of regulations on virtual assets in the US, we must thoroughly prepare for changes with an open mindset to swiftly respond to evolving environments, preemptively utilizing the changing trends.”
“The most important agenda is to have an ‘ethical corporate environment’ set its roots down, through the willingness of every individual. This is the time to take the step to restore trust under the determination to start over and desperation that this is the last opportunity.”
“Financiers must prioritize customer confidence, rather than the interests of an individual or a company. We must strive for excellence in expertise, considering the value of the community and sustainability. When every Shinhan member practices ‘humanitas (human nature),’ finance can be the driving force for a better community.”
“This year will be a year of unpredictable chaos and sudden changes. KB Financial should showcase confidence and stability to offset the anxiety of customers and the market. The corporate value-up plan, announced last year, will be executed without setbacks. We will put in all efforts for customers to confide in KB.”
“2025 marks a year of innovation and challenge. Mirae Asset Securities will strengthen our global presence, enhance wealth management and pension services and adopt cutting-edge AI solutions for efficient asset management. Committed to our fiduciary duty, we will prioritize customer trust and drive sustainable growth to remain a reliable partner in global financial markets.”
“Kyobo Life is committed to navigating a super-aged society and economic challenges through business innovation. In 2025, we will deliver balanced family and health protection, pioneer market-leading solutions and strengthen trust. By integrating customer insights and prioritizing quality, we aim to lead the industry and achieve sustainable growth in an evolving insurance landscape.”
“As we navigate challenging business environments, management and staff should embody the ‘One Innovation’ spirit. For instance, through our merger with SK E&S, SK Innovation has established a balanced energy portfolio, with which we will create tangible synergies and secure profitability and growth. Moving forward, the ‘SUPEX 2030 Vision’ will provide a clear direction for unification among all our members.”
“Marking this year as a turning point for future growth, we will continue to enhance our capabilities in next-generation batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries and prismatic form factors. It is also crucial to secure a competitive edge in products such as high-voltage mid-nickel and 46 series cylindrical batteries. We aim to achieve strong market penetration in sulfide-based and bipolar batteries and battery management systems, while also focusing on reducing costs in materials sourcing and manufacturing.”
“Amid growing uncertainties this year following the inauguration of Donald Trump’s second administration and ongoing international tensions, our survival hinges on securing future technological prowess. We must proactively develop game-changing technologies to ride the electric vehicle supercycle.”
“Instead of waiting for the electric vehicle market to recover, we should prioritize strengthening our internal capabilities. This includes diversifying into energy storage systems and advancing technologies, such as all-solid-state batteries and cell-to-pack, to secure a competitive edge in the future battery industry.”
“To survive the unfavorable business climate, we urgently need a fundamental change in our actions, grounded in a clear understanding of reality, rather than clinging to continued practices. I am once again designating 2025 as the ‘year of action’ following 2024, to improve our business portfolio through proactive and robust measures, develop concrete solutions to secure our differentiated competitiveness and enhance our ability to execute projects effectively.”
“We must seriously consider new avenues for the shipbuilding business, our group’s key sector. Cooperation with the US in the shipbuilding sector is a new opportunity for us. We must show our capabilities, the core of which I believe is technological innovation.”
“We should not settle for our achievements but continue to proactively take on challenges. Let’s keep innovating sustainable services and products and R&D and become a leader in the future mobility ecosystem.”
“This must be a year in which all ongoing business initiatives yield more tangible results. Let us aim to become a company that customers can trust, a lasting partner that grows alongside them, and a business that offers distinctive value and vision to society.”
“We must become a trusted technology partner that realizes customers‘ visions together. To ensure sustainable growth, it is crucial to quickly sense where the next S-curve of new technologies is emerging in the market and join customers in navigating this new S-curve.”
“Let us leverage our accumulated expertise and technological capabilities to establish differentiated performance and manufacturing competitiveness, creating barriers to entry that competitors cannot easily overcome.”
“We must strengthen technology-driven management to overcome the crisis, focus on securing cost and manufacturing competitiveness, transition to high-profit business structures in automotive electronics and servers, and expand new businesses so that we can achieve growth that exceeds market growth rates.”
“This year is expected to bring unprecedented challenges. However, from a technological perspective, market growth is driven by AI-based digital innovation, and new opportunities through the convergence of AI and telecommunications are anticipated. The paradigm of the traditional telecommunications industry will be completely transformed through AI, leading to tangible revenue growth.”
“The key to quickly securing our competitiveness lies in building an ecosystem with various partners, such as companies with advanced AI technologies, to establish an exclusive structure that creates insurmountable barriers against competitors.”
“In wireline and media, enterprise and AI data centers, we must continue to discover and invest in differentiated competitiveness and services to expand and strengthen our market leadership.”