SKT combines SK ICT capabilities to create a new ICT landscape
KT announces ambitions to achieve overwhelming 5G leadership
U+ proactively reads the direction of change


The heads of the three mobile carriers set each company's 2019 goals at New Year's events and encouraged the efforts of executives and employees. The objective was the same: to combine ICT capabilities based on 5G and transform from telecommunications carriers into platform operators.


SKT aims to lead global ICT through 5G-AI combination
SK Telecom President Park Jung-ho revealed the New Year's goal to lead the 5G era at the '2019 SK ICT Family Vision Concert' held on the 2nd at SK Telecom's headquarters on Eulji-ro.
At the New Year's event attended by all SK ICT affiliates including SK Broadband and SK Planet, President Park stated, "This year is when we will begin to create tangible results centered on 5G and AI, and through bold changes and innovation different from the past, let us become a strong company leading the global ICT ecosystem."

President Park emphasized, "We can no longer grow with existing successful methods, and we must become a stronger SK Telecom to compete with competitors from completely different industries in an entirely new way." In particular, he called for constructive cooperation among all company-wide organizations and SK ICT affiliates as well as first-class domestic and global ICT companies. Through this, he urged leadership in "creating a new ICT landscape" where all can succeed together.

To this end, President Park presented specific business objectives for each division.

▲In the mobile communications business, discovery of new business opportunities in the B2B market based on 5G, ▲In the media business, transforming the landscape of Korea's content industry through bold investment and cooperation with domestic and overseas operators. ▲In the security business, consolidating security business capabilities from physical/information security to quantum cryptography communication through ADT Caps, SK Infosec, and IDQ, and driving change and innovation in the security market. ▲In commerce, combining with New ICT technologies such as AI and VR to create services that customers seek themselves, ▲IoT/Data and AI/Mobility sectors are opportunities to be pioneered with a venture spirit, and he asked for challenges with pride in creating the company's future.

Since all of SK Telecom's ICT businesses are services deeply embedded in the lives of the entire population, President Park said the company must further strengthen the underlying technologies and infrastructure of all businesses and must never forget its weighty social responsibilities. He announced that the company will establish systems and corporate culture that can consolidate capabilities across all organizations and SK ICT affiliates.

Furthermore, "These efforts will serve as a driving force to lead the global ICT market," and he repeatedly emphasized, "Let us combine all our strengths to achieve both qualitative and quantitative growth."


KT aims for 5G leadership by combining its own ICT capabilities
KT Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu sent a New Year's address to approximately 60,000 executives and employees of the KT Group via email on the 2nd. The 2019 New Year's address encouraged the achievements of KT and group company employees in difficult circumstances in 2018, and expressed the determination to provide top-tier 5G services in 2019.

Chairman Hwang praised the fact that KT was the first in the world to showcase 5G in PyeongChang in 2018 and ranked first in consumer 5G awareness. He also highly evaluated achievements in the wireless and business divisions, including GiGA Genie, which secured the most subscribers among domestic AI devices at 1.3 million. He also mentioned that KT's recognition is growing on the global stage, including Giga Wire exports to Egypt, case studies of KT Smart Energy at Harvard Business School, and infectious disease spread prevention projects.
Chairman Hwang emphasized that 2019 would be the year to achieve complete transformation into a 5G-based platform company, and that KT's challenges up to now will be completed as the main player in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To this end, he requested that employees make efforts in three directions.

First, there is the request to achieve overwhelming 5G leadership. KT said it should convert corporate infrastructure to 5G through enterprise-dedicated 5G and lead the market from the beginning by leveraging KT's unique strengths such as integrated offerings and edge cloud.

Second, there is the request to grow in earnest as a top-tier global platform operator. Chairman Hwang mentioned that the company has achieved results in platform business over the past five years, and in particular has secured competitiveness in future platforms such as AI, big data, blockchain, KT-MEG (energy), and GiGA Eyes (security), as well as disaster safety platforms such as Sky Ship. He then emphasized that individually developed platform assets must be upgraded to a higher level to match customers' and markets' expectations. He argued that if intelligent networks combining 5G with AI, big data, cloud, and blockchain, and KT's platform capabilities in energy and security are fused, results can be achieved not only domestically but also globally.

Third, he urged that the way of working and corporate culture also advance one step further to match the 5G era. Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu requested that KT continuously strengthen its unique way of working to become a solid top-tier operator in the 5G era. He also noted that in the 5G era, as connections and convergence between industries accelerate, collaboration with other companies and organizations is important, and emphasized that new markets and value must be created through this.

Prior to sending the New Year's address, Chairman Hwang presided over a New Year's event that encouraged employees starting their first day at work and reaffirmed the company's commitment as Korea's 5G leadership operator in 2019. The New Year's event, attended by approximately 200 executives and employees of KT and group companies, proceeded under the theme "From First to Best, 5G Dominance KT!"

Messages of commitment from 5G business departments and group company employees, as well as supportive messages from employee families, partner companies, and Ahyeon area merchants were shown in video. Ahyeon area merchants conveyed messages saying, "We were very startled by the fire, but gained trust because of quick measures," and "In 2019, we hope KT will firmly unite and work together for 5G service and become number one."

Chairman Hwang stated, "KT has been newly given the mission to lead changes not only in people's telecommunications lives but also in industry and everyday life in the 5G era," and said, "To achieve this, in 2019 we aim to transform from a traditional telecommunications carrier framework into a platform operator."


LG U+ transcends telecommunications carrier status and leads innovation
LG U+ Vice Chairman Ha Hyun-hoe emphasized through his 2019 New Year's address on the 2nd that the company should lead 5G innovation by stepping away from the traditional telecommunications business perspective, proactively reading the direction of change, and turning crises into opportunities.
Vice Chairman Ha, at the opening ceremony held in the basement auditorium of the Yongsan office with employees in attendance, requested, "Demonstrate capabilities so the 5G network becomes world-class, and make 5G services exceed customer expectations to bring change to customers' daily lives."

He continued, "Last year LG U+ led the industry with innovative services, improved customer convenience with differentiated content, and achieved remarkable results across all businesses including surpassing 4 million IPTV subscribers," and said, "The domestic telecommunications market is facing a new inflection point with the arrival of the 5G era."

Vice Chairman Ha, on the premise that "For LG U+ to continue steady growth, it must step away from the traditional telecommunications business perspective and proactively read the direction of change," announced five tasks to lead innovation that turns crisis into opportunity.

The five tasks are ▲Strengthening fundamental competitiveness in wireless and wired businesses ▲Leading telecommunications industry change and innovation through successful 5G investment and commercialization ▲Success in Home IoT and AI businesses that are the foundation for future growth ▲Thorough management of quality, safety, and security ▲Creating a harmonious organizational culture and labor-management culture full of creativity and vitality. Vice Chairman Ha added, "5G will create many business opportunities, and only companies properly prepared will be able to seize those opportunities."

Vice Chairman Ha Hyun-hoe stated, "LG U+ must become a trustworthy company that develops together with society," emphasizing the company's social responsibility. Vice Chairman Ha said, "We must strive to create a transparent and exemplary company, and will continue to undertake various activities that benefit the underprivileged," encouraging employees' interest and participation.

Finally, he said, "Although there are many difficulties in the process of challenging change, if we unite toward achieving our goals, great success is assured," and urged, "Let us confidently achieve success in the face of change so that we can make another leap forward in 2019 and create a new LG U+."