Lee Ju-ho CEO "Investment for Employees is the Company's Competitiveness" [K Population Strategy]

(46) CEO Supporting Employee Growth
"Company as a Space to Prepare Personal Special Skills"
Emphasizing Development Through Solidarity Among Competitive Individuals

Editor's NoteThe key to solving South Korea's population problem lies within companies. A workplace culture that evaluates employees based on their work regardless of gender and a family-friendly environment are crucial to addressing the K-population issue. While low birth rates are influenced by multiple complex factors, it is important to ensure that workplace burdens do not become obstacles that make people hesitate to have children. Asia Economy is visiting companies leading family-friendly policies to identify the factors that helped these systems settle stably, and will explore various approaches with companies that lack practical conditions. Through this, we aim to encourage change starting from companies and analyze the government's role in enabling this. We listen to voices emphasizing that a company culture and atmosphere that reduce psychological burdens rather than just financial support are key, and propose alternatives from diverse perspectives.

Lee Ju-ho CEO "Investment for Employees is the Company's Competitiveness" [K Population Strategy]

Lee Ju-ho, CEO of Gounsaesang Cosmetic, is explaining the company's family-friendly and welfare policies. Photo by Huh Young-han younghan@

"Employees entrust part of their lives to the company, and I do the same. I entrust part of my life to the employees. Responsibility towards each other?that is what I believe trust is. Investment in employees based on trust becomes individual competitiveness and leads to the company's growth."

On the 20th, Lee Ju-ho, CEO of Gounsesang Cosmetic, emphasized this in an interview with Asia Economy, saying, "When you express trust, most people try to live up to that belief and not disappoint expectations."

CEO Lee's conviction is that "trusting and respecting employees' autonomy increases corporate productivity." He also said that during his own turbulent career, he was able to reach his current position because a superior believed, "You will eventually succeed." Lee said, "That phrase is still my motto," and added, "'Employees are not tools for the company's growth; the company is a means to help employees grow.'"

Since his appointment in 2021, CEO Lee personally conducts orientation for new employees on their first day. He said, "Our company emphasizes from this moment that we will focus solely on your growth. The company is a space to support growth and a place to prepare a lifelong skill to make a living." He added, "The most effective way I think to protect company members is to ensure that, in any situation in this capitalist era, they can support their livelihood through work, thereby preserving the human dignity of themselves and their families."

The family-friendly system established by Gounsesang Cosmetic is designed to allow employees to focus on work 'only.' CEO Lee said, "Many companies call these welfare programs, but we call them 'protection programs,'" adding, "These systems were devised by thinking about why employees cannot fully concentrate on work." He said, "We have worked to solve worries of office workers such as concerns about housing, children's education, and what happens if they get sick." Gounsesang Cosmetic offers flexible work arrangements including two days of remote work per week, and if an employee is diagnosed with a serious illness while working, they receive one year of paid leave and up to 100 million KRW in medical expenses support. They also provide interest-free housing loans up to 50 million KRW.

Lee Ju-ho, CEO of Gounsesang Cosmetic Co., Ltd., a company with a high birth rate, is explaining the in-house welfare system and company management methods. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

CEO Lee referred to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, stating that once safety needs are met through family-friendly policies, the need for belonging must be fulfilled next. He said, "On Wednesdays when employees come to the office, lunch breaks are extended to two hours so they can talk with colleagues they usually don't get to speak with and have meals with members from different teams." He added, "Instead of company-wide workshops, if four people from different departments form a group, the company covers the costs." This promotes a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Smiling, CEO Lee said, "After that, wouldn't there be nothing left to do but work?"

Gounsesang Cosmetic invites not only employees on parental leave but also those who have left mid-year to the year-end party. CEO Lee said, "Because it is a time to celebrate and encourage the achievements of the year, even employees who left mid-year are considered contributors to that year's success during their tenure," adding, "For employees who leave to grow further, we tell them we will grow Gounsesang more so that they can come back later and work together based on what they learned here."

CEO Lee emphasized, "A truly strong organization is created when competitive individuals form a network of solidarity." He said, "An organization where individuals work well alone like grains of sand but lack bonds is problematic, and a company that only emphasizes community spirit without ability is also undesirable. The company's vision is to become a community of solo entrepreneurs who have thorough individual competitiveness, bond with colleagues, and contribute to society."