Hanwha marks 74th anniversary with Kim's call to face reality, not optimism

Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn marked the conglomerate's 74th founding anniversary with a message urging employees to abandon optimism and confront harsh realities, saying that only by doing so can the group prepare for its next century and beyond.

"There is no place for optimism," Kim said in a message to employees Friday. "We can only prepare Hanwha for 100 or 200 years by facing the cold reality — relentless geopolitical conflicts and rapid changes in the industrial environment — securing a path through the many obstacles ahead and confronting them head-on."

Kim said Hanwha was founded 74 years ago with a single resolve: to build the core industries that South Korea needed with its own hands. "I am grateful to our employees, customers, shareholders and partners around the world, both at home and abroad, who have made today's Hanwha possible," he said.

Tracing the group's expansion from explosives into machinery, petrochemicals, finance, services, energy, defense, maritime and now aerospace, Kim set out a clear goal: "We must become leaders who create the future in each of our business fields."

He said the qualities required of a "leader who creates the future" are a sense of ownership, a focus through selection and concentration, and a spirit of challenge.

Kim also said AI competitiveness was critical. "Securing AI-based technological competitiveness to become an enduring leader will only be possible through a spirit of challenge that never breaks under any circumstances," he said. "In finance, machinery and services as well, AI-based technology must underpin our work before we can become true leaders in name and reality."

Kim added that great achievements begin with safety and that there is no future without it. "Creating a workplace where all employees and their families can feel secure is a leader's fundamental quality and a top priority," he said, adding that "no value can take precedence over safety and human life."