'This Year's Businessmen Award'
Goes to Hankook Chinaware Chairman
MOCIE Minister Lee Hee-beom presents the coveted
award for winner's contribution to economy, social services

Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy Lee Hee-beom presented "This Year's Businessmen Award?to Kim Dong-soo, chairman of the Hankook Chinaware Co. jointly with the Environment Foundation and Hankyorae Daily News. The presentation of the award took place at Hankook Chinaware plant in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province Aug. 9.
Chairman Kim, with his management philosophy that a business firm should be like hard and shiny diamond, rather than a big business firm like a big rock under a unflinching artisan's spirit, introduced the Korean traditional ceramic culture abroad.
Hankook Chinaware has had a very smooth labor-management relations since its founding in 1943 with no one getting dismissed, establishing a model for harmonious labor-management tradition. In business relations with the company's vendors, the chairman set up the practice of amicable vendor relations by paying for supplied goods a day in advance from the promised date in cash. He also saw that the company pursues an environment-friendly management, and social services under the social corporate responsibility.
The award has been provided to Chairman Kim as the MOCIE, Hankyorae Daily and the Environment Foundation recognizing his lofty managerial achievement.
Minister Lee, in his congratulatory speech, pointed out that despite Korea being the 10th largest economy, 12th largest export nation in the world and being ranked 5th in competitive power, a deeply pessimistic views and instability are widely spread in the country.
The MOCIE minister, however, stressed that there are new chances behind these gloomy views, although a concern about China's rapid emergence, slowdown in key industries, and reductions in dominance in the global market.
By taking advantage of these opportunistic factors, the government has been working to draw up a master plan for realizing an advanced industrial power by 2015 which is to be announced next month at an international meeting attended by both Korean scholars and experts at home and abroad.
"This Year's Businessman Award"is presented to a businessman with a hefty contribution to the national economy and social development by taking into good use businessmen's social responsibility in addition to corporate management skills armed with entrepreneurial spirit and reform mind.
Late New Il-han was the first recipient of the award. The winners are selected by the 10-man committee members appointed by the MOCIE, the Environment Foundation and the Hankyorae Daily among 10 candidates chosen by various organizations in the country.
Hankook Chinaware started its operation in 1943 founded by late Kim Jong-ho, father of the chairman Kim Dong-soo. Kim Young-shin is president of the company. Its plants are located in Cheongju, North Chungchong Province.
The company produces Bone China since 1975, developing the commodity for the first time in the Orient in 1975. The company developed the Super Strong brand for the first time in the world in 1989. The company has eight plants in its complex in Cheongju and three in Indonesia operated by its subsidiary P.T. Korea Ceramic Indonesia set up in 1991.
The company produces 3.5 million pieces of bone China annually and exports them to over 50 countries in the world with total shipments amounting to $22 million in 2004. The company, ranked 5th largest Chinaware maker in the world, recorded $9 million in domestic production and $23 million in Indonesia.
Chairman Kim was born in Cheongju in 1936 and is a graduate of Yonsei University in 1959 with a degree in economics.
In 1965, he was elected to become a director of the Korea Ceramics Industry Cooperative and in 1975, he became president of the Hankook Chinaware Co. He was promoted to be chairman of the company in 1990. nw

MOCIE Minister Lee Hee-beom, left, presents the award to Chairman Kim Dong-soo of Hankook Chinaware