KCCI chief urges hard work in 2014

Park Yong-maan, head of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, yesterday called for companies to work hard to get the economy back on track this year.

Park was a main speaker at the KCCI’s annual New Year’s greeting ceremony yesterday at COEX, Samseong-dong, southern Seoul.

Among the estimated 1,500 in attendance were President Park Geun-hye; heads of the five major business lobbies; Chung Mong-koo, chairman of Hyundai Motor; Kim Chang-geun, chairman of the Supex Council, SK Group’s highest decision-making body; Shin Dong-bin, chairman of Lotte Group; Cho Yang-ho, chairman of Hanjin Group; and Hyun Jeong-eun, chairwoman of Hyundai Group.

“The global economy is forecast to recover this year, and our economy is expected to be better than last year. But we expect not-so-easy conditions for doing business amid increasing competition among countries and companies,” said the KCCI chairman. “We will regard 2014 as a last chance to prepare for an era of economic recovery and will design the plans and put them into practice.”

The chairman also urged the companies to secure a “fundamental competitiveness” through fostering talent and corporate restructuring.

Park also expressed hope that it will be a year of harmony and cooperation, a remark apparently targeting the prospect of growing labor-management conflicts in the year ahead.

“Let us work hard to make the government and companies, labor and management, and the ruling party and opposition party share the same goal, and join the hands in creating a rich country and a happy society,” Park said.

BY MOON GWANG-LIP [joe@joongang.co.kr]