[New Year's Address] Son Kyung-sik, CJ Chairman, "Opportunity for Global Expansion... Securing Ultra-Differentiated Competitiveness"

Failure to Secure Competitiveness and Lay Foundation for Future Growth
Critical Juncture Where Market Elimination Is Possible
Need to Secure Growth Engine Through Global Expansion
Actively Explore Potential Opportunities... Connect to Growth

Son Kyung-sik, Chairman of CJ Group, emphasized on the 2nd that "CJ Group must secure a super-gap competitiveness in each business to achieve continuous growth."

In his New Year's address delivered through the company broadcast on the same day, Chairman Son said, "As domestic consumption stagnation and changes in the global trade environment are expected to deepen internal and external uncertainties this year, thorough preparation is necessary."

Sohn Kyung-shik, Chairman of CJ Group. Photo by CJ Group

He particularly pointed out that CJ Group, in its efforts to rebuild 'ONLYONE,' focused too much on short-term responses and failed to sufficiently lay the foundation for securing definite market competitiveness and future growth. He added, "This year, domestic consumption stagnation is expected to continue, while changes in the global trade environment and political situation, population aging, economic polarization, and AI innovation will accelerate. Our group stands at a critical crossroads where how we respond to this crisis can turn it into a golden opportunity or lead to our elimination from the market."

Chairman Son presented two key tasks to overcome this crisis and achieve growth with competitiveness. First, he emphasized the need to secure growth engines through global territorial expansion and to gain market recognition by presenting a global growth vision externally. He said, "As global interest in our culture grows day by day, opportunities for global expansion are opening in food, logistics, entertainment, and beauty sectors. We must strengthen our domestic business foundation while securing growth engines for the future through global business."

He also stressed the importance of discovering potential opportunities in each business and connecting them to growth. Chairman Son pointed out, "We have often failed to utilize growth opportunities due to insufficient preparation. While we settled for small achievements, competitors fully leveraged potential opportunities to achieve overwhelming growth." He added, "Even now, many businesses within the group have open opportunities. We must thoroughly prepare, capture growth opportunities in advance, and utilize them to the fullest."

To execute these tasks, Chairman Son urged all members to have a clear awareness of the current crisis situation and to produce tangible results in each company based on shared understanding of the group’s growth vision. He said, "Only by maintaining a challenging attitude amid the crisis can we achieve the group’s growth and development. I hope this year will be one in which we regain the group’s growth potential by accelerating challenges toward the global market."