“Many challenges await ahead, but there is no need to feel discouraged due to uncertainty. Rather, becoming complacent and caught up in optimism without facing any crises can be more dangerous than any external threat.”
Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, said during the 2025 New Year meeting held at the Hyundai Motor Studio in Goyang on the 6th, “The world is changing rapidly. Customer expectations are rising every day, and market competition is fierce. We lack the luxury of optimistic expectations that because last year went well, this year will also go well.”
He also noted, “We must beware of falling into a pessimistic attitude due to the upcoming challenges. We have always faced crises and have overcome them excellently, growing stronger in the process. Terms like 'perfect storm' should awaken our alertness and inspire our will to confront crises, and we must not fall into pessimism and neglect innovation.”
He stated, “For challenges we can anticipate, we must prepare meticulously as we have thus far to create future opportunities. For unforeseen crises, the basics are important. We need internal discussions to pull out objective analysis and comprehensive responses, unity towards set goals, and a flexible and open decision-making process that includes ongoing efforts toward our objectives.”
Chairman Chung mentioned the new CEO Jose Munoz, who was appointed as Hyundai's first foreign CEO this year, calling it “an expression of our will toward innovation.” He added, “The will toward innovation must extend beyond the organization to the outside world, leading industry paradigm shifts and technological advancements, and we must boldly invest in core areas and strategically collaborate with competitors when necessary.”
That day, Chairman Chung participated in the 'HMG Round Table,' a discussion format event with the group's management team following the announcement of his New Year's message. Including Chairman Chung, Vice Chairman Zhang Jae-hoon, President Jose Munoz, President Song Ho-sung of Kia, President Sung Kim of Hyundai, President Song Chang-hyun of Hyundai, President Lee Kyu-bok of Hyundai Glovis, President Chung Hyung-jin of Hyundai Capital, and Vice President Lee Han-woo of Hyundai Construction shared this year's vision and strategy with domestic and international employees through a Q&A session.
In this session, Chairman Chung reiterated the importance of customers to the management and employees. He said, “As leaders in each area, it is important to set future plans precisely and clearly communicate direction, but ultimately execution is what's most needed. We need to plan everything, consistently follow up, and manage after the fact consistently to produce good results. In that process, the focus must be on the customer.”
Chairman Chung added, “Before simply providing products and services to generate revenue, we must satisfy what the customer wants, and our various technologies that customers experience should naturally permeate their lives and accompany them. External variables and environmental factors change continuously, so internal strategy is crucial, and we must always communicate with the goal of customer satisfaction.”