The Second Meeting Between Chairman Chey Tae-won and Gunsan Social Venture Entrepreneurs

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK Group is having a conversation with local Gunsan young entrepreneurs on the 24th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited Gunsan, Jeonbuk again this year following last year, continuing a long and informal meeting with young social venture entrepreneurs.

According to SK Group on the 25th, Chairman Chey visited 'Localize Town,' a startup support center located in Yeonghwa-dong, Gunsan City, Jeonbuk, the day before. He toured the stores operated by young entrepreneurs one by one and held a discussion for about two hours with around 30 young entrepreneurs. The meeting was held in a warm atmosphere throughout, with sufficient distancing between attendees and masks worn in accordance with government quarantine guidelines.

Localize Town, which Chairman Chey visited, is a three-story space of about 100 pyeong created for the 'Local:Rise Gunsan' project promoted by SK E&S to revitalize Gunsan, a city suffering from the decline of manufacturing industries. It is used as a workspace and education space for social ventures and a place to nurture startup teams.

In response to a young entrepreneur’s remark, "It feels like a dream that the chairman visited us again," Chairman Chey said, "Last year, your businesses were full of plans and will to act, but now it seems you have laid stepping stones to establish your position and continue growing, which makes me proud," adding, "I will visit again next year, so please keep nurturing your dreams and hopes."

Young entrepreneurs entering their second year of startups with support from SK E&S first asked about solutions to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Chairman Chey advised, "Business always faces unexpected crises and challenges, but even if you fail, it is about accumulating experience and knowledge, so do not be afraid," and added, "To grow further, you need to exercise creativity, set the direction of evolution, and create and execute a concrete roadmap."

A question from a young entrepreneur about what kind of leadership is needed after hiring three employees brought laughter to the audience. Chairman Chey warmly responded, "Rather than a dichotomy of horizontal or vertical relationships, if leadership and followership are strengthened through empathy, the members will become allies, making the human composition for the business more solid."

Before meeting with the young entrepreneurs, Chairman Chey toured small business sites collaborating with social ventures in Yeonghwa-dong and Wolmyeong-dong for about an hour. At a photo studio run by a young entrepreneur, he took pictures with a disposable camera, and when visiting a social venture that specialized in commercializing Gunsan seaweed, he presented a congratulatory envelope to be given to the CEO who got married last week and went on a honeymoon.

Prior to visiting Gunsan, he visited the SK Nexilis Jeongeup plant in Jeonbuk, acquired earlier this year, toured the copper foil production facility for secondary batteries, and encouraged the staff. Chairman Chey said, "I am glad to welcome Nexilis as a new member of SK," and urged, "Please continue to protect the environment and enhance your technological capabilities to stand tall as a truly global top-tier company."