[This Week's Books] "Employees Bought the Company" and More

Employees Bought the Company

The listed company Korea Engineering Consultants Corporation elects its president and shareholder representatives through employee voting. The structure allows anyone with the necessary capability to become president. Whether president or new hire, every employee holds an equal share of rights and can participate in management as an owner of the company. It is the first employee stock ownership company in South Korea, with ownership and management separated. In 2017, when the company faced a crisis of being sold, 830 employees each contributed 50 million won, raising a total of 53 billion won to acquire the company. Since then, employees have established systems and a culture that allow them to participate in management as true owners. This article introduces the story behind it. (Byoungsoo Kim and one other | My Life)

Non-Mainstream Project

This book shares the achievements of seven members who, over seven years, built a channel from nothing to one with 100 million views. It introduces the growth stories of YouTube channels such as Milanonna, Pearl Jieng, and Jeongheehada, all of which have surpassed one million subscribers. The book presents work principles that help in professional life, such as the 'sense of work' and 'sensitivity in relationships.' Key advice includes: never avoiding the question 'why,' detecting and planning for failure, pushing your own intuition despite discomfort, holding onto minority opinions longer than following the majority, and sharing pain instead of merely observing it. (Written by Team Milanonna | Gimm-Young Publishers)

ChatGPT User Guide by Industry

This is a practical ChatGPT manual for professionals in the securities, banking, and insurance industries. The author, a corporate ChatGPT instructor, draws on experience from seminars and lectures at domestic financial institutions to help industry workers automate repetitive tasks and focus on more strategic work. The book introduces practical uses such as automating financial product comparisons, researching financial trends, reducing report drafting time by 80%, and generating chatbot prompts for customer service. It also includes prompt design principles and sample scenarios by industry for easy understanding. (Written by Junyong Song | Yeouido Bookstore)

2026 Global Trends That Will Excite Korea

KOTRA presents on-site case studies collected from its trade offices in 131 cities across 85 countries. Through the 'Global Trends That Will Excite Korea' series, KOTRA has introduced global business insights for the past 15 years. This year, the focus is on artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare, energy, space, and lifestyle. Going beyond simple trend introductions, the book provides actionable insights for immediate business application in fields such as humanoid robots, unmanned factories, and AI medical technology. It also showcases proven cases of innovation on the global stage, including humanoid robots, smart healthcare, eco-friendly energy, the space industry, and fashion tech. (KOTRA | Sigongsa)

Sentences of Strategy

With generative artificial intelligence (AI), writing can be done quickly and easily, surpassing human efficiency. This trend raises concerns that human writing may become an inefficient task. However, the author, a communication leader with 25 years of experience, asserts that the ability to structure messages for persuasion and empathy cannot be replaced by AI. The book introduces how to write various types of strategic, clear, and authentic messages, including crisis response communications, internal communications, and texts that reflect an organization's direction and values.

Low-Consumption Living

'You Only Need One.' The so-called 'YONO' consumption trend is gaining attention. The author is a YONO advocate who lives on 700,000 won per month, including rent. Rather than extreme austerity, the focus is on a comfortable lifestyle that is not overwhelmed by consumer desires. Before hastily reacting to feelings of 'lack' or 'need,' the author first asks, "Is this truly what I want?" The book introduces methods to prevent overspending, categorized into money, food and shelter, thoughts and habits, and mindset. (Written by Kazeno Tami | RH Korea)