SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won expands outreach through casual dinners with employees and lectures for young people, using his approachable image to raise broader issues such as the future of AI, the role of younger generations and economic cooperation between Korea and Japan.
According to social media posts and other accounts, Chey had dinner with SK Group employees on Wednesday at Dalmaji Square Barbecue's main restaurant in Euljiro, central Seoul. Photos and videos showing him sharing soju and draft beer with employees spread online. He reportedly continued the evening at a nearby venue for a second round of drinks.
It is unusual for a conglomerate chairman to be seen socializing so informally with employees. Chey also showed his down-to-earth side in June, when he joined NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at Kkanbu Chicken twice during Huang's visit to Korea. A business community source said Chey often commutes to work on foot.
Recently, Chey has also drawn attention by sharing his interests and vision for the future through televised lectures. Appearing on EBS' "Great Minds" from Oct. 12 to 16, he discussed "AI, the New Capitalism and Youth," emphasizing the skills needed to adapt to technological change and the role of younger generations. Beyond securing technological competitiveness, he raised questions about how individuals and society should change in the age of AI.
Chey has also shared his views on Korea-Japan relations and the future of the two countries, extending beyond corporate management issues. He has proposed developing bilateral cooperation beyond conventional economic exchanges to jointly build a new foundation for growth. His focus has been on raising broader issues and encouraging discussion about the long-term foundations of industrial and national growth.
Business circles see Chey's approach as reflecting the influence of his late father, former SK Group Chairman Chey Jong-hyun. In 1997, when his father was chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, he famously met one-on-one with then-President Kim Young-sam, warning of an economic crisis fueled by a growing current account deficit, high interest rates and wages, and exchange-rate pressures.
He urged the government to take emergency measures and pursue restructuring. Like his father, Chey Tae-won has been willing to speak out on the direction of the national economy, beyond corporate management. "It seems he inherited his father's disposition to express his views on the country's future," a business community source said.
Chey's changing standing within the business community is also seen as a factor. When former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee, former LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo and Hyundai Motor Group Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo were active, Chey was relatively young among the heads of Korea's four major conglomerates. As a generational shift has taken place, however, he has come to be seen more as a senior figure among his peers. Born in 1960, Chey is older than Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, born in 1968; Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, born in 1970; and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, born in 1978.
"Chey values communication so much that he manages his own social media accounts," another business community source said. "Like the senior business leaders before him, he is strengthening his role in setting the agenda for the times as a central figure in the business community."
in INDUSTRY
