Kim Wan-jong, president of SK AX, declared 2026 the first year of the "age of great AI navigation" and said the company will fully pivot its business around artificial intelligence (AI) and move aggressively into global markets.
Kim said in a New Year's address for 2026, "Only companies that augment themselves through AI can chart new courses in this era of great transformation," adding, "The AI transition is not a choice but a matter of survival."
Looking back on the past year, Kim called it "a time of innovation when we changed both the company name and our constitution." He said the company reinforced fundamentals through "Back to Basic," achieved a turnaround by improving execution structure with AI, and stood at the starting line of the AI era by changing the corporate name to SK AX.
He also stressed the urgency of the AI transition. Kim said, "Companies that fail to augment themselves with AI may stagnate or face 'sudden death,'" adding, "Through three years of focused effort, we have built the foundation and asset to respond to these changes."
SK AX will pursue a growth strategy in 2026 centered on three key tasks. The first task, "Being AX," envisions fundamentally redesigning how the company works around AI to boost productivity. Kim emphasized that the company must deliver a different level of results through "Doing Different," not mere process tweaks.
The second task is to serve as an "AI·DT enabler" that leads customers' AX transitions. Kim framed the gap between customers' domain knowledge and rapidly evolving AI technology as a market opportunity, saying SK AX should become an execution partner that organically orchestrates Agentic AI from consulting and design to build and operations.
He also made clear the company's ambition to enter global markets. Kim said, "If we think boldly and execute a half step faster, the leadership of the newly opening AI market will be ours," outlining plans to deliver tangible results overseas.
He also cited fundamentals of sustainability as a core task. Kim pointed to SHE, cybersecurity, and compliance as prerequisites for AI innovation, saying, "If even one of these wavers, the company's trust and value can collapse in an instant." He then urged every member to recognize and practice security and safety as the basics of their work.
Kim said, "2026 is the year SK AX begins a new journey in the age of great AI navigation," emphasizing, "The organization and members must unite as one team and move with a field-first focus on customers and business."