[비즈한국] There has hardly been a year where 'crisis' was not mentioned in the New Year addresses of major corporate groups. Global economic slowdown, geopolitical risks, and technological innovation have been recurring staple keywords every year. The New Year addresses for 2026 also begin with this same awareness. However, the way crises are addressed this year has changed significantly. While emphasizing crises, the conclusion does not stop at 'caution' or 'preparedness,' but rather demands more radical innovation and change.
Synthesizing the New Year addresses of major group leaders, the keyword penetrating the Korean economy this year is not uncertain economic prospects. Uncertainty has already been accepted as a fixed condition, and the central keyword that has emerged is how to reconfigure corporate fundamentals upon that base. Furthermore, the fact that they recognize the crisis as an environment that requires a redesign rather than an event to be overcome reveals the problems and challenges facing our economy this year.
Crisis: Not an 'External Variable' But a 'Constant to be Overcome Internally'
The most distinct change in this year's New Year addresses is the attitude of not shifting the responsibility for crises onto external factors. While they mention the economy, interest rates, and exchange rates, they do not stop at explaining them but shift the focus to problems of internal choice.
The fact that GS078930 Chairman Huh Tae-soo placed the message of checking the competitiveness of existing businesses at the forefront, the trend of Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin ordering a change in the fundamentals of core businesses rather than using uncertainty as an excuse, and POSCO Chairman Jang In-hwa's decision to choose the term 'great transformation' instead of crisis all stem from the same critical mindset. They all share the point that they are asking for survival strategies within the crisis, assuming it to be a persistent condition rather than a temporary shock.
This awareness is confirmed across the business world. The phase of blaming the external environment has passed, and the New Year addresses are permeated with the judgment that internal structure and execution now determine competitiveness. In short, crisis is no longer an excuse for exemption.
Changing Growth Grammar: From 'Expansion' to 'Reassembly'
The approach to growth has also clearly changed. Words like 'goal achievement' or 'super-gap,' which supported past periods of high growth, are no longer mentioned in New Year addresses. Instead, how to re-weave existing businesses and assets and how to create new market rules have been presented as new conditions for growth.
Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin defining 2026 as a year of growth again while emphasizing a shift in growth methods, and LG003550 Chairman Koo Kwang-mo demanding new innovation based on the judgment that the expiration date of existing success formulas has passed, point in the same direction. The common consensus is not to deny growth itself, but that past methods of growth no longer work.
The part where CJ Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik warned that strategies prepared with existing grammar could be neutralized is in the same context. The judgment is that survival is difficult without restructuring corporate structures centered on technology, data, and content, moving away from the inertia of scale and speed. HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun mentioning preemptive business restructuring across core businesses is also read as a choice to redraw the portfolio itself rather than adding one new industry. This trend shows that the Korean economy has moved to the stage of 'what to keep and what to discard' rather than 'how much to grow'.
AI: Now a Realm of Execution, Not Declaration
The most realistic keyword in the 2026 New Year addresses is definitely AI. However, the way AI is handled is distinctly different from before. Beyond technology introduction or preparation, how it will connect to actual business structures and profits is taking center stage.
Samsung Electronics005930 President Roh Tae-moon defining AI transformation as a change in mindset and overall work processes is symbolic. It is an attempt to redefine AI not as an R&D aid, but as a productivity standard for manufacturing, sales, and service. This means we have entered a stage where competitive edge is determined not by whether AI is used, but by how quickly and accurately decisions can be made through AI.
SK Chairman Chey Tae-won connecting AI to export competitiveness follows the same trend. The strategy to secure trust in the global market through an ecosystem that goes beyond AI semiconductors to services shows that he recognizes AI as a practical export asset, not just an investment theme. GS Chairman Huh Tae-soo emphasizing the 'business impact' of AI and ordering field-oriented application is also interpreted as a signal demanding results, not technology.
Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn views AI as a core technology combined with defense, yet separates safety and responsibility as a distinct axis amidst the speed race of technology. The judgment is that trust and sustainability are more important than achievement. As technology transformation accelerates, the awareness that safety and responsibility are being elevated from costs to conditions for survival is noteworthy.
The 2026 New Year addresses of major groups clearly show that the Korean economy has moved past the phase of 'economic forecasting' to the stage of 'fundamental relocation.' The success or failure of this year depends on how quickly companies discard existing success formulas and design new revenue structures in a changed environment, rather than on economic growth rate figures. Accordingly, the potential of the Korean economy this year appears to be determined not by the external environment, but by the choices each company makes and how persistently they execute them.