Koland's New President Kim Committed to Help
- Government's plan for balanced development of the country

Kim Jae-hyun, new president of the Korean Land Corp. said in his inaugural speech, he feels a deep responsibility in assuming the presidency of Koland, where he spent some 25 years, sharing the same fortune with the firm.
He feels the responsibility with respect to carrying out policies for management of land in the country successfully, along with a duty to make Koland a model public firm. He also feels his job to lead all the employees of the company to work for a common goal.
He said Koland will observe its 30th founding anniversary next year and the company will prepare for its second jump by changing through reform to enhance its competitive edge as a national enterprise in this rapidly changing environment.
Koland has been supplying residential and industrial land in the past 30 years for stable residential life for people and industrial development, securing its position as a professional firm in charge of the nation's land policies.
However, managerial environment centering on projects has been changing rapidly.
The new CEO said an enterprise could collapse no matter how big it is if it loses a moment to change, in the way of stressing the need for change and reform.
He said Koland should assume most of the blame on a heavy concentration of buildings in Seoul at the expense of national competitiveness, deepening regional frustrations. Koland executed most of land policies leading to lop-sided concentration in Seoul.
Kim said he will devote himself to making Koland to lead efforts to shut off all of these imbalanced development of the country by participating in the government's policies for balanced development of the nation.
He said any company would have to change with the times and environment in order to survive and public companies like Koland is no exception.
He swore that he would spare no effort for reforming Koland and its success and development.
Steering away from the government and public sector, Koland will cooperate with provincial governments and private individuals in drawing up land development policies, ushering in a steep competition among them.
Internally, the company has been unable to shed its office culture of being a government-invested firm, stodgy and lacking in creativity as far as he knows.
But recently, it has been able to expand its business territory related to free economic zones and Gaesung industrial complex in North Korea with improved finances, ready with the next take-off.
The new president said he will execute five major policy objectives during the term of his office; First. Koland will successfully complete the projects given by the government including the establishment of free economic zones and Gaesung industrial complex in North Korea; second. he will see that Koland improve its services before it is asked; Third. Koland will be financially sound without relying on outside for help; Fourth. He will implement an ethical management, loved and respected by the people as a national company; Finally. He will seek a harmonious management with united organization to create a democratic corporate culture.
The heavy concentration of buildings and population in Seoul is a side effect from the government's blind growth policy; one out of two people lives in Seoul.
The situation caused national competitive strength to wane due to various problems ranging from the lack of adequate housing, traffic jams, and environmental pollution, among others.
Koland should take a lot of blame for the situation as it has been managing the nation's land development policies.
In order to solve the problem, the government is trying to move some of its agencies to provincial regions and set up new cities in local regions for balanced development of the country. nw