For the Third Year, SK Holds Saturday Meetings... Chairman Choi Changwon: "Reviewing China Business Strategy This Year"

First Saturday Meeting of the Year for the SK Supex Council
Discussions on China Strategy, Group Rebalancing, and Mutually Beneficial Cooperation

SK Group held its first Saturday executive meeting of the year, focusing on a review of its China business strategy and discussions on mutually beneficial cooperation as key agenda items.

According to industry sources on January 11, Choi Changwon, Chairman of the SK Supex Council, attended the Strategy and Global Committee meeting of the SK Supex Council held the previous day at the SK Gas headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, where these topics were discussed.

SK Group resumed its Saturday executive meetings-gatherings attended by key group executives-for the first time in 24 years in 2024 and has since continued to hold them on a biweekly basis.

At this first meeting of the year, attendees included Chairman Choi; Vice Chairman Seo Jinwoo, who oversees China operations; Jang Yongho, President of SK Innovation; Yoo Youngsang, Chairman of the AI Committee of the SK Supex Council; Yoon Poongyoung, President in charge of the SK Supex Council; and Jung Jaeheon, President of SK Telecom.

It was reported that Kwak Nojeong, President of SK Hynix, and Vice Chairman Yoo Jeongjun, who is in charge of North America and currently on a business trip to the United States, participated via video conference.

With policy uncertainty rising due to escalating tensions between the United States and China, and in light of recent developments such as the Korea-China summit signaling a recovery in bilateral relations, the group appears to be reassessing its strategy for the Chinese market.

Previously, SK Group appointed Park Sungtaek, former First Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, as the new president of SK China, which serves as the control tower for its China operations. SK Hynix continues to focus on semiconductors in China, operating DRAM and NAND flash plants in Wuxi and Dalian.

Chairman Choi was also reported to have discussed group-wide strategies of selection and concentration. He identified the ongoing rebalancing of the group and productivity innovation as the most important issues for the year. The group plans to accelerate operational improvements by integrating artificial intelligence (AI), innovate productivity, and maintain competitiveness. In addition, the meeting addressed ways to promote mutually beneficial cooperation that fulfills social responsibilities.

The SK Supex Council’s Strategy and Global Committee, which previously met once a month on weekdays, began holding biweekly Saturday meetings in 2024 under Chairman Choi’s leadership. These meetings serve as a forum for key executives to gather early every other Saturday morning for candid discussions on major issues.

On August 29 last year, Choi Changwon, Chairman of SK Supex Council, gave a congratulatory speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 'SK AI Data Center Ulsan' held at the artificial intelligence (AI) data center construction site in Nam-gu, Ulsan City. Photo by Yonhap News