New Boss at CAK

President Choi pledges various ways to boost construction industry’s reputation through market expansion and cleaning up irregularities

President Choi Sam-kyu of the Construction Association of Korea said in his inaugural address on March 2 that the construction industry now has to play its role to help make Korea the 10th largest economy in the world, just as it has been a foundation in the past boosting the nation to rank the 13th largest in the world in terms of the scale of its economy. Choi, who took over recently as the 25th chairman of the construction association with a membership of over 12,000 construction firms in Korea, said that the industry had a huge job to do with the vision of boosting the per capita income of Korea to $40,000 as one of its major goals for the future.
In order to achieve these goals, he said, both large and small firms should work shoulder-to-shoulder for shared growth, rationalize the productivity system in the construction industry, expand the construction market for sustained growth of construction, aim at becoming a first-class industry with technology, environment and safety in harmony in its operations, the practice of transparent and honest management, and an open association with members as owners in spelling out his six major tasks to be accomplished during his three-year term of office. The new chairman pointed out the development of both large and small construction firms as growth companions first among the tasks the association must achieve in the future.
Choi said the CAK will support large construction companies’ efforts to widen their overseas markets to boost their image in the global construction market. The CAK will also help small builders grow soundly so that they can be a major force in the construction industry in the future.
In order to support the construction firms, Choi said, he will take measures to see that investments in construction stay at a proper level. Additionally, both general and specialized construction firms will operate together for win-win growth under a strategy that he will draw up with a special measure to support the growth of specialized cooperative construction firms with technological prowess and construction capability so that they can be a force in the development of the construction industry. The new president also said that he will build a system through which construction firms will get paid for the market value of their work. The first step he will take will be to stop the further expansion of competitive bidding for construction projects, which on many occasions leads to poor construction and the financial deterioration of construction firms, and replace it with a reformed means to win projects without submitting the lowest bid prices, which has included dumping in some cases.
Choi also pledged to expand the construction market for the sustainable growth of the construction industry in the days ahead. He said he will develop a system under which both large and small construction firms can advance into untapped foreign markets for construction projects in such regions as Africa, Central and South America and Central Asia, where the newly emerging countries are located. At home, too, he will try to find the areas where construction projects are needed so that construction investments will continue to be made and find ways for construction firms to find new growth engines in low carbon green growth areas by working with the government’s green-growth policies.
The new president also said he will try to find ways to invigorate the construction industry at home by removing and reforming various regulations on construction including those that put limits on apartment sales prices and others that regulate reconstruction and redevelopment projects by analyzing the impacts of those regulations on construction activities. While in office, Choi said he will try to lead the way for the construction industry to be first-rate in terms of technology, environment and safety.
He also promised to boost construction technology through training manpower with a special attention on environmental technology, and through a wider distribution of the latest construction methods. He will also try to give more incentives to construction firms in the area of green growth construction projects by finding technologies to drastically reduce accidents at construction job sites.
Choi said he will also come up with measures to make the construction industry clean and open in its management to win public trust by strengthening ethical management programs to clean up irregularities and shoddy work and by closing down financially unstable construction firms. nw

President Choi Sam-kyu takes over the flag of the Construction Association of Korea during his inauguration ceremony held on March 2 at the association’s office in Seoul.