SK Group's Chey Tae-won to share AI-era survival strategies on EBS lecture series

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won will appear as a speaker on Season 6 of EBS's lecture program "Widaehan Sueop, Great Minds" (Great Minds).

According to EBS, Chey will deliver a series of lectures under the curriculum "AI, New Capitalism and Youth" on EBS 1TV from Monday through Friday next week, airing at 11:45 p.m. each weeknight. The lectures will explore what kind of new economy and society South Korea should build together with the younger generation in the AI era.

Having led SK Group for nearly 30 years through sweeping changes in semiconductors, energy and telecommunications, Chey poses fresh questions about the roles that businesses, the economy and society must play in the AI era.

Contrary to the expectation that economic growth would naturally resolve social problems, new challenges keep emerging. The rapid advance of AI is reshaping the structure of industries and jobs, making the problems ahead even more complex.

Chey argues that a "new-value capitalism" is needed to navigate these changes. The lectures will examine the possibilities of this framework, which he developed through experiments conducted over the past decade.

He will also offer young audience members a roadmap for moving toward an AI-native society — from how to use and experiment with AI agents to the concept of AI cities.

In addition, Chey will make the case for a Korea-Japan economic partnership as a new strategic option for South Korea. He will examine why the two countries need to seize new growth opportunities together and what makes such cooperation viable in a world economy increasingly upended by AI.

In a closing segment, Chey will answer questions submitted by young viewers — including "How did you foresee the AI era coming, and how did you prepare?", "How do you personally use AI?" and "If you were in your 20s again, what would you pursue?" — drawing on his own experiences and candid reflections.