Water, Nature, and Humankind

My deepest thanks go to all K-water employees for doing their best in their workplaces at home and abroad to get K-water to where it is today. I sincerely wish you health and happiness in the new year. Thanks to your dedication, K-water was able to promise greater safety in people’s lives and better water management in the global community. All of us at K-water deserve a pat on the back for keeping people safe through seamless water management amid extreme weather conditions and for having gained a reputation as a global water technology leader with super-gap technology. Moreover, we have set a meaningful milestone by drafting a blueprint to “emerge as a top 2 global water corporation by 2035.”
Now, we are prepared to grow as a top-notch water corporation to take the lead in addressing the climate crisis. We are now expected to produce tangible results that can truly benefit people’s lives and garner recognition from the global community, based on our experiences and expertise. It is hard to predict what challenges lie ahead of us. Uncertainty continues to grow amid the climate crisis and shift to a new global order, with circumstances for water management becoming increasingly complicated. Nevertheless, we must still embrace the future with open arms. It is indeed a golden opportunity to go one step ahead and identify risk factors proactively and turn them into opportunities to create a new growth momentum. To make this possible, there are some key tasks we need to focus on in 2025.

First, let us ensure national water security and public safety by sticking to the basics.

People’s safety is a top priority as we fulfill our mission. Above of all, sticking to the basics is essential. Preparing for floods, droughts, and other forms of disasters and supplying safe and clean water through thorough water management are two basic missions that underlie everything else we do. Adhering to the basic principles of water management is even more important in the new era when the world economic order is getting reorganized around climate change and hi-tech industries. Indeed, it is the key to ensuring people’s safety and securing national competitiveness. Managing water safety is emerging as a top priority among countries around the world as they struggle to cope with extreme weather and growing demand for water. Driven by a sense of mission as the nation’s leading water manager, K-water is working diligently to raise national water security to new standards. In this context, we need to focus on expanding alternative water resources that are less vulnerable to climate change and building a water security system that will remain solid and reliable even in the face of extreme weather events. One of our major roles is to help the hi-tech industry grow by providing high-quality water. To this end, we will create as early as possible the infrastructure for supplying water to hi-tech industries including the semiconductor manufacturing sector, so that water will not pose any obstacle for manufacturers in expanding their business and competing globally. We also should integrate more technology into our water management practices in order to prevent water-related disasters more effectively. Moreover, we have to make water resource satellites as well as the big data-based flood response system more advanced and sophisticated, and make sure that we supply clean and safe water by increasingly shifting to digitally operated waterworks and managing assets efficiently. It is necessary and important for us, too, to work with businesses on expanding water restoration projects and developing clean water resources through proactive pollutants management. All these steps will add up to make us better able and prepared to keep people safe in their daily activities.

Second, we should keep innovating and promote the shared value of water.

First and foremost, we need to expedite the global sales of our 3 major super-gap technologies: digital twin water management platform; AI water purification plant; and smart pipe management. Fresh impetus should be given to R&D. Our global research cooperation network with advanced countries should be broadened to gain global recognition for our technology, and our R&D initiative needs to be expanded further as we usher in a new era of water. It is also necessary for us to make water quality analysis and water treatment technology—which is often required in hi-tech industries—a pillar of our future growth. In this context, we need to build a reputation as a reliable business partner by making sure that SK Hynix’s ultra-pure water facility is operated seamlessly and to develop the industrial facility market in Korea and overseas. This year marks the first year when the nation’s largest desalination facility begins operation. Building on the experience of running this facility, we should further develop innovative carbon capture technology and emerge as a global climate tech company capable of presenting solutions to the climate crisis. It is also important to share our technology and expertise.
One of the things we need to do first is to expand our water energy businesses including floating solar panels and green hydrogen and increase renewable energy PPA projects in tandem so as to help exporters become globally competitive. In addition, we should work together with municipalities in creating eco-friendly, water-specialized cities in a way that fits the needs and characteristics of individual cities. We can certainly play a role in creating vibrant cities where businesses and people gather together if we combine our resources and competences in water, energy, and environment. We can also develop new businesses by shifting to a local municipal waterworks operation system that customers truly want. Let K-water take the lead in opening a new era of decentralization wherein dams become the driving force behind local development through local branding that utilizes the value of dams as waterfront, ecological, and cultural resources.

Third, let us achieve phenomenal growth by exploring new opportunities in new overseas markets.

K-water has a uniquely competitive business portfolio. Few water companies in the world have such extensive range of competences in water, energy, and urban development that K-water possesses. Our strengths are evident. The combination of our infrastructure and super-gap leading technology allows us to offer differentiated total solutions encompassing the entire water cycle from securing water resources to recycling wastewater. Building on these strengths, we must concentrate our efforts on developing high value-added businesses. The existing investment projects and green ODA in climate and environment should serve as a catalyst for overseas investment projects that follow. Simultaneously, K-water should actively engage in fostering innovative companies in the fields of water and climate technology and faithfully perform its role as a hub for global expansion by domestic corporations. Something also needs to be done to turn AWC into an international organization. Let us make K-water the icon of water management in the global market by launching aggressive global marketing campaigns through greater cooperation.

Lastly, I urge you to be involved actively in improving the fundamentals of the organization and building a sound management system.

All business activities should be firmly based on the two pillars of safety and anti-corruption. Please bear in mind that safety is our top priority and play your part in recording zero safety accidents and promoting a healthy culture of safety. The improved level of anti-corruption in 2024 is a result of the concerted efforts by all of us at K-water. Still, we must never rest on our laurels; instead, we should keep working to raise our anti-corruption level to Grade 2 by letting a strict sense of ethics guide us and addressing our areas of weakness. It is also important to create better working conditions and foster a corporate culture where diversity is respected. Let us have a workplace where each employee can reach his or her full potential, a workplace that promotes work-family balance. We are going to build a fair management system wherein employees who take on challenges and get the job done are rewarded accordingly, and those who make sacrifices for the organization and colleagues are recognized.
2025 is the year of the blue snake. Snakes shed their skin each year to grow. If we fail to shed our old selves, we cannot move forward. The time has come for us to abandon old habits and transform ourselves to meet the needs of the times. I would like to extend my gratitude to union leader Ki-chan Park who is holding up one of the pillars of K-water’s management based on mutual trust throughout the long and challenging journey, including the union, permanent auditor Sam-gyu Lee, and all K-water employees who have worked together to make K-water the No. 1 water management company in Korea.
Now is the time for us to go beyond Korea and emerge as a global leader. Let us make 2025 a new beginning for K-water to get one step closer to becoming a global water company that takes the lead in dealing with climate change. Once again, I wish you a happy new year! Thank you!

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