SK Group's 71st Anniversary... Founder's and Former Chairman's Birthplaces Opened to Public

Restoring Birthplace in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon into a Memorial Hall
Highlighting Management Philosophy of Serving the Nation and Fostering Talent

The birthplace of Choi Jong-gun, the founding chairman who laid the foundation of SK Group, and Choi Jong-hyun, the previous chairman, will be opened to the public.

To celebrate its 71st anniversary, SK Group announced on the 8th that it has restored the birthplace located in Pyeong-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, and opened it as a memorial hall called 'SK Gotaek (古宅)' to pass on the history of national economic growth and entrepreneurial spirit to future generations. Since February 2022, SK Group has completed the restoration after more than two years of preparation, including rebuilding the hanok on the Pyeong-dong site and constructing an exhibition hall.

SK Group announced on the 8th that it will open 'SK Gotaek (古宅)', a memorial hall that restores the birthplace located in Pyeong-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, to convey the history of national economic growth and entrepreneurial spirit to future generations, in celebration of its 71st anniversary. Exterior view of SK Gotaek (Photo by SK Group)

This memorial hall consists of a hanok-style memorial hall of 75㎡ and an exhibition hall of 94㎡ on a 1111㎡ site. The hanok memorial hall preserves the appearance of the 1950s and 1960s when Chairman Choi founded the company and Chairman Choi focused on product exports and business advancement. It is filled with actual belongings used at the time and exhibits reflecting the era, recreating the lifestyle of people back then.

The eaves bear a signboard inscribed with 'Hak-yudang (學楡堂)'. The characters come from 'Hak' of Choi Hak-bae, the father of the founding and previous chairmen, and 'Yud' from the elm tree. This is connected to the origin story of Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty, who moved a pair of elm trees from his hometown to Luoyang, considering it a sacred space, symbolizing 'the founder's hometown.'

The warehouse that used to store textiles has been transformed into an exhibition hall. It highlights SK's management philosophy of contributing to the nation through business and nurturing talent, providing a space where visitors can experience the history of challenges and innovations leading to today's SK through various audiovisual materials.

SK Group announced on the 8th that it will open the birthplace of its founder, located in Pyeong-dong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, as a memorial hall called "SK Gotaek (古宅)" to commemorate its 71st anniversary. The hall aims to pass down the history of national economic growth and entrepreneurial spirit to future generations. A space reproducing the interiors of the birthplaces of Chairman Choi, the founder, and Chairman Choi, the predecessor (Provided by SK Group)

In the exhibition hall, visitors can see Chairman Choi’s emphasis on the phrase "The company's development is the country's development," expressing his belief that the efforts of his generation can enrich future generations. The hall is also filled with the sayings of former Chairman Choi Jong-hyun, who devoted his life to nurturing talent for the nation, such as "First is people, second is people, third is people," and "We nurture talent as we grow trees."

Visits to SK Gotaek can be reserved through Naver starting from the 15th. It is closed on weekends and public holidays, and admission is free.