'Cosmopolitan That Found Earth Too Small' Published
Includes Stories of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Bid and More
#As the 21st century approached, airlines around the world hurriedly began forming alliances. Creating alliances and sharing routes to enhance customer service and maximize cooperation effects between airlines became a survival strategy. The 'Star Alliance,' launched in May 1997 centered around United Airlines of the United States and Lufthansa of Germany, was a representative example. Cho Yang-ho, the late chairman emeritus of Hanjin Group, decided not to join existing alliances but to lead the founding of a new one. It was a bold move to overcome the crisis and secure industry leadership. At that time, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines were the final candidates, with opinions leaning toward American Airlines. However, Chairman Cho chose Delta Air Lines. He emphasized, "If you look only at the route network, it makes sense to ally with American Airlines, but trust is more important," adding, "We must not betray the trust built with Delta, with whom we have collaborated since 1994."
A biography depicting the life of the late Cho Yang-ho, chairman emeritus of Hanjin Group, is being released. It intricately unpacks Chairman Cho’s management philosophy and beliefs, revealing behind-the-scenes stories of the formation of SkyTeam, the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and various other anecdotes.
To mark the 5th anniversary of Chairman Cho’s passing, Hanjin Group held a memorial ceremony at his ancestral grave in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and unveiled the biography titled The Cosmopolitan Who Found the Earth Too Small on the 8th.
This book chronicles Chairman Cho’s life from his childhood through his joining Korean Air in 1974 until his death in 2019. After joining in 1974, he returned to Korea in 1979 following his work at the U.S. branch and handled various practical roles such as Director of Maintenance, Director of Materials, and Director of Systems. The biography carefully details Chairman Cho’s belief in 'Serving the Nation through Transportation (輸送報國)' and his practical application of 'System Management Theory' that emerged during this process.
The biography was written by Lee Im-kwang, a former reporter for the Korean edition of the American business magazine Forbes and a biographer. Through testimonies from group insiders and acquaintances, various anecdotes are introduced. Notably, previously undisclosed stories related to overcoming the International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial crisis, the formation of SkyTeam, and the hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, as well as Chairman Cho’s hobby of photography, are included.
The biography is composed of a total of 10 chapters. The early sections cover Chairman Cho’s philosophy and principles, including ▲'The Beautiful Cosmopolitan Who Went Far Together,' which highlights his philosophy, ▲a warm and quiet human side, and ▲'The Insightful Angle Management That Saw the Same World Differently,' which sheds light on his insight and decisiveness. Following these are chapters on ▲the joy of immersion enjoyed by a hard worker, ▲an early & deep adopter and management engineer, ▲a company that studies hard and a CEO who encourages learning, ▲the lyricist of 'Standards and Principles,' the composer of 'System Management,' and the conductor of the 'Airline Orchestra,' ▲the challenge toward absolute safety and the secret of a flawless record, ▲an athlete who loved athletes, and ▲the passionate private diplomat who led PyeongChang’s victory.
The recommendation was written by Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, who had a close relationship with Chairman Cho. Chairman Sohn stated, "There has been no manager in the history of global aviation who has demonstrated such outstanding expertise and sustainability as Chairman Cho," adding, "Even after Chairman Cho’s passing, Korean Air and Hanjin Group continue to grow steadily, which shows the power of the solid and sophisticated system he built during his lifetime."
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