Business, Government, and National Assembly Gather for New Year... Choi Taewon: "This Year's Focus Is Growth"

KCCI Hosts New Year's Meeting for the Business Community
Over 500 Attendees, Including Leaders of Six Major Economic Organizations
"Companies Will Drive Korea's Next Leap Forward"

To mark the arrival of the Year of Byeong-o, leaders from the business community, government, and National Assembly gathered together to reaffirm their commitment to economic revitalization. They emphasized the need for public-private cooperation, stating that the nation's top priority this year must be "growth."

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the "2026 Economic Community New Year's Meeting" on the afternoon of the 2nd at the Chamber of Commerce Building. First launched in 1962 and now in its 64th year, this event is the largest New Year's gathering for the business community, bringing together business leaders, as well as key figures from government, the National Assembly, and various sectors of society. Held under the slogan "Growing Companies, Leaping Korea," this year's event was attended by around 500 business leaders, including the heads of the six major economic organizations, the Prime Minister, leaders of the four major political parties, and ministers from seven government departments.

Choi Taewon, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated, "This year, the business community believes that all discussions should be focused on growth. To ride the wave of artificial intelligence, the source of growth, we must foster a startup market for the AI generation, proactively build the necessary infrastructure, and attract overseas resources."

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the "2026 Economic Community New Year's Meeting" at the Chamber of Commerce Building on the afternoon of the 2nd. Photo by Park Joonyi.

He continued, "We also need to make our execution models for growth more bold and innovative. As business leaders, we will take the lead with our entrepreneurial spirit." He pledged active investment and employment plans, the creation of added value through global cooperation, and the development of creative ways to use resources efficiently. He also called on the government and National Assembly to focus their support on "growing companies."

Prime Minister Kim Minseok said, "We are well aware that the international environment ahead of us is by no means easy. Now is the time to fundamentally strengthen the structure of Korean industry to withstand the waves of change." He emphasized that the government must overcome internal strife, restore growth, and aim for a major leap forward, with integration serving as the foundation for these efforts. He stressed the importance of building a cooperative relationship between business and government.

The event began with a video titled "Once Again! Companies Will Take the Lead." The video highlighted the resilience of Korea's economy in overcoming crises through the joint efforts of businesses and the government, and conveyed a message that, amid global technological competition and a major shift in the industrial order, companies would once again drive Korea's next leap forward. In celebration of the Year of the Red Horse, the video also expressed a determination for the business community to charge ahead like a red horse, receiving enthusiastic applause from attendees.

Next, New Year's messages of hope from economic organization leaders and major business figures were shared through video. Ryu Jin, Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, said, "As the AI revolution and other powerful forces fundamentally reshape the economic order, we must usher in a new era of K-Industry through a major transformation of the Korean economy."

Yoon Jinshik, Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, stated, "Despite the challenging global trade environment last year, our exports surpassed 700 billion dollars for the first time in history, marking a historic achievement." Son Kyungshik, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, said, "If we can create an environment that enables timely investment by companies and drive market vitality through innovative growth in cutting-edge industries, our economy can once again achieve a major leap forward."

Jung Taehee, Chairman of the Daejeon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, remarked, "We persevered and moved forward even in the face of the IMF financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. That experience and tenacity will once again empower us in the face of global economic uncertainty."

Park Iljun, Executive Vice Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "This year's New Year's event, held in the Year of the Red Horse, brought together the business community, government, and key figures from the National Assembly to reaffirm our commitment to economic revitalization. I hope the government and National Assembly will do their utmost to improve laws and systems so that companies can overcome crises and grow through bold challenges and innovation."