CEOs of S. Korean corporate groups draw up future vision at CES

CEOs of major corporate groups in South Korea are attending CES 2023, the world’s largest information technology and home appliances exhibition. They empathized with the global economic crisis and stressed the importance of securing innovative technologies for the future.

Chairperson of SK Group Chey Tae-won made a surprise visit to SK’s booth on Friday (local time) and observed its subsidiaries' products. He also tasted ice cream made by an alternative milk protein manufacturer, in which SK invested. Chey mentioned that the economic future is uncertain and added that scenarios should be developed to prepare for changing situations.

CEO of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group Chung Ki-sun attended a signing ceremony of an MOU between Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and the American Bureau of Shipping to develop automatic engines and safety control systems for unmanned vessels and visited the exhibition hall on Friday. “I gained a lot of inspiration from global companies’ visions and technologies,” said Chung. “We will strive for collaborations with various companies to accelerate and deepen our efforts to achieve our vision.”

Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group Chung Yong-jin also visited exhibition halls set up by Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Heavy Industries Group. While Shinsegae Group does not have a booth at CES, the group reportedly visited the exhibition to identify future growth drivers. “We have been making efforts in the field of food tech, such as meat substitutes, and retail tech, such as completely automated stores,” said a member of Shinsegae Group. “The vice chairman looked at technologies that can be applied to the group’s business, including the ‘Hwaseong project’ to build an international theme park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.”

Chairman of LS Group Koo Ja-eun also visited CES 2023 on Friday and Saturday. “Leading future technologies, such as autonomous driving, mobility, and net zero, have become major technology trends,” said Koo. “It was confirmed at this year’s CES that the ‘electrification of all things’ is taking place.”


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