Business leaders' New Year's address... to "break through crisis with renewal"

In celebration of the New Year, the business community also issued a series of New Year's speeches, calling for bone-shredding reform and crisis breakthrough this year.

In his New Year's address, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin said, "The economic situation will be more difficult than ever this year due to increased uncertainty and prolonged slump in the domestic market," stressing that the foundation for another leap forward should be laid by improving the constitution.

In particular, he said that more intensive renovations are needed this year to meet market expectations, and encouraged them to restore their core business competitiveness as soon as possible to overcome the crisis and lay the foundation for sustainable growth.

POSCO Group Chairman Jang In-hwa, who suffered from a series of bad news last year, also issued a New Year's address and said, "Let's take a new leap forward using the current difficulties as an opportunity to blessing in disguise."

Chairman Jang cited workplace safety, absolute superiority of technology, carbon neutrality and cost structural innovation as key initiatives this year and urged the company to produce results with a "complete localization strategy" ranging from materials to products in global growth markets such as India and North America.

Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon also pointed out in his written New Year's address that the attitude of turning a blind eye to the task is the biggest warning sound of the crisis, and called for rapid implementation and constant innovation this year.Son Kyung-sik, chairman of CJ Group

, delivered his New Year's address through an in-house broadcast and stressed that each business should have super-gap competitiveness, saying, "This year, it can create a golden opportunity or be eliminated from the market, depending on how we respond to the crisis."

In his video New Year's address, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin said, "The market situation is bad due to high prices and recession, but at times like this, we need to challenge and grow," urging them to read fiercely where the "No. 1 customers" who always seek newness are headed and increase their "main job competitiveness" to satisfy them.

Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon also said this year is a "desperate" crisis that will shake survival and the future, encouraging the creation of a strong teamwork through communication to create a solid and trusted "100-year Hyosung."