Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, met with new employees who will lead the future of the group, sharing strategies to implement Shinsegae's core value of "customer first" in a future-oriented manner.
On the 21st, at the Shinsegae Namsan Urban Talent Development Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, during the "2025 Shinsegae Group New Employee Graduation Ceremony," Chairman Chung encouraged new employees and emphasized the importance of customer-centered management.
Representatives from various subsidiaries of Shinsegae Group, including Emart, Shinsegae Department Store, Shinsegae Property, and Shinsegae International, attended this ceremony. This graduation ceremony was also the first official meeting with new employees since Chung became chairman of Shinsegae Group.
After observing the project presentations prepared by the new employees, Chairman Chung expressed high satisfaction and delivered a message about the attitude required to satisfy "top customers." He also left words of encouragement, saying, "There will be difficult processes ahead, but I hope you feel greater happiness as you grow," reaffirming his long-emphasized management philosophy of "talent-centered" management.
The word that was mentioned most during this graduation ceremony was undoubtedly "customer." The new employees wrapped up a two-week group training session, conducting team projects with the theme of "designing a new customer experience for top customers."
Creative ideas were presented to innovate various customer touchpoints operated by Shinsegae Group, including supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, cafes, multiplex shopping malls, and baseball stadiums.
After listening to the new employees' presentations, Chairman Chung remarked, "Some of the ideas presented today perfectly aligned with topics we recently discussed with the executives," adding, "This indicates that outstanding talents are joining the group."
He also created a light-hearted atmosphere, saying, "I was so busy today that I didn’t even have a meal, but seeing all of you makes me feel full without eating."
Chairman Chung emphasized to the new employees, "You need to find opportunities in customer complaints, break existing molds, and become an innovative corporation that continuously grows."
He continued, "Rather than being satisfied with customer praises, we should listen to complaints," explaining the changes in the value of "customer first" that Shinsegae Group pursues.
He highlighted, "In the past, kindness was the core of customer first, and 20 years ago, it was important to provide products at reasonable prices that customers wanted. Now, in the age of AI, understanding customers’ lifestyles quickly and accurately and presenting the products and experiences they desire before they do is the future of customer first."
He urged them to maintain a sense of urgency, stating, "There will be greater changes in the next three years than in the past 20 years, and the speed at which top customers change may be faster than the pace at which we grow."
Throughout the ceremony, Chairman Chung actively communicated with the new employees and offered warm encouragement.
When a new employee asked about the secret to becoming a "trendsetter," Chairman Chung responded, "When you buy new clothes, do you wear them right away or save them for later?"
As the majority of the new employees answered, "I wear them right away," Chairman Chung smiled and said, "Those of you who wear them right away are the true trendsetters."
He explained, "I want to try new products as soon as they come out, and I want to eat new foods as soon as they are available. The person who experiences new products before anyone else is the real trendsetter."
Towards the end of the conversation, he noted, "During the training period, you may have heard only good things, but when you enter practical work, you will face strict evaluations amid fierce competition," adding, "It may be tough, but I hope you grow through that process and feel even greater happiness."
Even after the official event ended, Chairman Chung spent a long time with the new employees, responding to requests for selfies and showing a friendly demeanor.
The new employees who attended this graduation ceremony were those who passed the final interview for Shinsegae Group's public recruitment last December. Chairman Chung directly participated as an interviewer in selecting them. He has been involved in the new employee recruitment process of Shinsegae Group every year for 27 years since 1998.
Chairman Chung remarked, "A group that interviewed two months ago received the highest evaluations across the board," stating, "This has never happened in my 27 years of interviewing."
In this way, Shinsegae Group is personally overseeing everything from new employee recruitment to onboarding training, practicing its core value of "talent first." This is a principle emphasized by the late Lee Byung-chul, the founding chairman, and part of the strategy to maximize competitiveness by placing talented individuals in the right positions.
Shinsegae Group plans to continue providing various training and support so that new employees can achieve creative results based on customer-centered thinking.
The new employees who joined this year will undergo training at each subsidiary and are expected to be assigned to their roles starting next month.