President and CEO Park Cheol-ho of Dong-A Otsuka said on the 6th, "With the pace of change—led by AI (artificial intelligence)—faster than ever, the core keyword for 2026 is 'preparation,'" adding, "We must become corporations that lead the future through steady preparation with sustained passion and bold challenges."
Park made the remarks in a New Year's address held in the 7th-floor auditorium at Dong-A Otsuka's headquarters in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, citing Peter Drucker's words, "The best way to predict the future is to create it."
Park said, "In a rapidly changing business environment, we need preparation that goes beyond simple responses to proactively create the future." At the kickoff ceremony where the New Year's address was delivered, Outstanding Model Awards and Outstanding Proposal Awards were also presented to encourage Dong-A Otsuka employees' hard work.
Park laid out three key tasks. "While putting quality and safety first, we must complete a smart production system that takes the environment into account," he said, adding, "We need production innovation that combines eco-friendliness and efficiency on top of quality competitiveness grounded in fundamentals."
He added, "Consumer needs are expanding beyond health and well-being to functionality and premium value," and "We must prepare premium functional new products based on differentiated technology and innovation to pioneer new markets."
He also said, "Growth comes from a long-term vision, not short-term results," and urged, "We must prepare execution power to build the future together by maximizing synergy between departments based on individual growth and further internalizing a culture of harmony and respect."
Park then described 2026 as "the year of the red horse," saying, "The horse symbolizes persistence and strength, and red symbolizes passion and challenge. This year, we must prepare with sustained passion and lead the future with bold challenges."
He added, "Our preparation will determine the future of Dong-A Otsuka," and "When all employees look in the same direction and prepare together, Dong-A Otsuka will take another leap forward."