The inauguration ceremony for new CEO Yun Seog-dae was held at the main hall of the K-water Headquarters on June 19, 2023. “While we put the protection of people’s life, safety, and property against climate disasters right at the top of our agenda, let’s advance into a new era of water that will lead Korea in making another leap forward” CEO Yun said.
At the ceremony, CEO Yun Seog-dae earnestly asked K-water employees to strive to reinvent K-water in a qualitative way by actively responding to rapidly changing circumstances such as climate crisis, eco-friendly transition, and reorganization of global order. He also emphasized that K-water’s top priority is “to protect people’s life, safety, and property against various disasters that we have not experienced before, caused by the deepening of the climate crisis.” In the current situation where water management has become more important ever, CEO Yun’s first proposal is to open a new era of water through changes and innovations that the nation wants.
In addition, while focusing on creating a sustainable growth engine in response to the change wherein the water industry is emerging as the second semiconductor along with the eco-friendly transition, he stressed the need to “create a sustainable growth engine in cooperation with private sectors by discovering high value-added industries such as ultra-pure water and desalination of seawater, reuse of water, and hydrothermal energy and actively entering overseas water markets.” This is a plan to re-establish the role and status of K-water as a global company that goes beyond water management to enable the Korean economy to take another leap forward. He also pledged to open a new era wherein public interest and efficiency are in harmony by keeping pace with the government’s policy.

1. ‘The union members’ tree of hope’ containing vivid messages of the employees — expectations, wishes, and intention toward the new CEO.
2. Luncheon with the company’s board members and employees of subsidiary companies.
3. CEO Yun Seog-dae communicating with employees in the office.

In his inauguration speech, CEO Yun also asked employees to make K-water a company with integrity, fairness, and right common sense in the eyes of the people. “I will endeavor to resolve the nation’s water problems such as drought and poor water quality and realize water welfare in marginalized areas. I will also strengthen the foundation for harmonizing public interest and efficiency through digital transformation, R&D investment, and improvement of financial solvency,” he vowed. To this end, he also suggested a detailed sketch of establishing a company-wide committee to reinvent the organization in order to open a new era of water together with labor and management.
At the ceremony in particular, the labor union gave CEO Yun Seog-dae ‘the union members’ tree of hope’ that bears employees’ expectations, wishes, and intention toward him. The tree of hope contains the employees’ messages stating that K-water would become a company that they could feel proud of by establishing an organizational culture of integrity and respect.
The labor union welcomed the appointment of the new CEO, saying that both labor and management should work together to create the best K-water. For his part, CEO Yun vowed to do his best “to lead K-water in becoming a global service company that is loved by the people and the employees in cooperation with labor and management.”
Meanwhile, after having lunch with the company’s board members and employees of subsidiary companies, CEO Yun Seog-dae had a meeting to communicate with female employees by visiting all offices of the headquarters.