Cho Won-tae, chairman of Hanjin Group, said on the 16th, "Our integration will be a process where one corporation absorbs another, but rather, it will be a natural process where we permeate into each other." Korean Air completed the merger process with Asiana Airlines on the 12th of last month, integrating Asiana Airlines as a subsidiary.
On the same day, Chairman Cho sent a message to Asiana Airlines employees, stating, "Today, I want to introduce myself this way: 'I am Cho Won-tae, the chairman of Asiana Airlines.'" He added, "While it's just a title, the weight of responsibility it carries feels heavier than anything else."
He noted, "Though it may be lacking, I visited your workplace and boarded the flights." Chairman Cho traveled to Los Angeles (LA), United States, on an Asiana Airlines passenger plane on the 10th, following his visit to the maintenance, operations, and passenger service departments at Asiana Airlines on the 13th of last month. Cho has been using Korean Air for his overseas business trips.
Chairman Cho stated, "Innovative changes will accompany our transformation into an integrated airline," adding, "We must not only prepare physically to unify our organization and systems, but also build a foundation of understanding and respect for each other." He continued, "There is nothing to fear because the changes will occur on the solid foundation you have built up."
He further emphasized, "I do not wish for the unique culture and assets of Asiana Airlines to disappear during the integration process," expressing his hope that the integration in two years will blossom into a fruitful outcome. Chairman Cho said, "I will ensure that the process leading to integration and the opportunities and rewards afterward will be fair based on ability and effort."
Chairman Cho remarked, "As both the chairman of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, I consider all employees of both companies as equally precious family members," adding, "I believe I understand and care for you, who have become one family, better than anyone else. I will not take that sincerity lightly, but will keep it deeply. "