SK chief pitches new capitalism in rare TV turn

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is making a rare television appearance to share his vision for capitalism and growth in the AI era.

Chey will open the sixth season of EBS’ Great Minds as its first lecturer, discussing how artificial intelligence is reshaping business, jobs and society — and why economic growth alone can no longer be expected to solve mounting social challenges.

Having led SK Group for nearly three decades through shifts in semiconductors, energy and telecommunications, Chey will outline what he calls “capitalism with new value,” an approach he has developed and tested over the past decade to address social problems while creating economic value.

He will also discuss how AI can be used to tackle social challenges rather than simply boost productivity, and propose closer economic cooperation between South Korea and Japan as a new source of growth as AI transforms the global economy.

The appearance will offer a relatively unusual glimpse into Chey’s personal thinking. In a Q&A session, he will discuss how he anticipated and prepared for the AI era, how he uses AI himself and what he would pursue if he were in his 20s today.

Over the past five seasons, Great Minds has featured prominent scholars and thinkers from economics, philosophy, science and the arts to address major questions facing humanity.

Chey’s five-part lecture series, titled “AI, New Capitalism and Youth,” will air on EBS 1TV at 11:45 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and will also be available on the EBS website.