Korea Development Bank (KDB) Chair Park Sang-jin said people should think with a vision that looks 20 years ahead rather than short-term results, and said this year KDB will focus on fostering industries and corporations, generating continuous revenue, and building a culture of communication.
Park held a New Year's kickoff ceremony for 2026 at the headquarters' main auditorium on Jan. 2 with executives and employees in attendance, and in his address said it is time to move toward "our goal of a great leap forward for the Republic of Korea's economy," and stated accordingly.
Park said, "2025 was a year that showcased KDB's resilience despite tough internal and external conditions," and presented three goals for the real growth of the Korean economy and KDB this year: ▲ fostering industries and corporations ▲ generating continuous revenue ▲ a sense of ownership.
Park said KDB must devote itself to its original role of fostering industries and corporations, maximizing support for advanced strategic industries through collaboration with the Public Growth Fund, revitalizing regional economies and strengthening investment in small and venture corporations, and also supporting the restructuring of business portfolios in traditional core industries.
He said, "KDB's profitability is the basic strength needed to carry out policy finance steadily," and urged the bank to "establish a firm foothold in the market through asset–liability rebalancing, including expanding investment assets, while finding new opportunities in global markets and delivering results by strengthening investment banking capabilities."
Park emphasized a sense of ownership to employees. Park said, "Analyze, debate and make decisions with the mindset that 'I am the chair,'" and emphasized, "Let's climb this uphill road with the attitude of ma buringti ('a running horse does not stop its hooves')," invoking the spirit of "a horse does not stop its hooves."