Newly appointed SK Telecom CEO Jung Jai-hun said Tuesday the company will pivot from size-driven growth to efficiency and artificial intelligence, outlining a broad management overhaul at his first town hall meeting with employees.
Jung, a former judge who joined SK Telecom in 2020 and took office on Oct. 30, met staff at the company’s headquarters in central Seoul. In his inaugural address as chief executive, he described himself as a “Chief Change Officer” and urged employees to break away from entrenched practices.
“We cannot create real change by simply working harder while relying on old ways of thinking,” Jung said. “Management will take responsibility for failures, so I want everyone to take on new challenges without fear.”
At the center of the shift is a move away from scale-based expansion toward capital efficiency and productivity. As part of that effort, SK Telecom will replace EBITDA with return on invested capital as its key performance indicator, signaling a stronger focus on profitability and efficient use of capital rather than sheer growth.
Jung also addressed recent hacking incidents and service disruptions. He called customer trust a top priority and pledged to strengthen core fundamentals, including service quality, security and operational safety.
Looking ahead, Jung identified artificial intelligence as SK Telecom’s primary growth engine, stressing that it requires companywide execution rather than isolated initiatives. He outlined plans to expand AI data center operations, move into higher-value AI solutions and develop proprietary AI models to compete globally.
“To renew SK Telecom, we must share common values and turn ideas into action,” Jung said. “I will make decisions with humility, listen carefully and approach each situation objectively.”
sunblessyou@heraldcorp.com
