Call for Fast, Safe and Solid Highways

New President Chang of Korea Expressway Corp. calls for break up of old bureaucratic practices and rebirth of the company by coping with changes

Chang Seok-hyo, former second vice mayor of Seoul Metropolitan City, has been inaugurated as the 15th President of Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC) on June 16 in a ceremony held at the company's headquarters.
The new president said during his inauguration ceremony that the KEC has to meet the people at eye level when taking care of the company's operations and to make the expressways around the country faster, safer and more pleasant through the company'sservices. They must build sound highways and manage them as part of the advancement of the national economy and to improve the comfort of the people on the highways as the KEC's given responsibility.
The CEO said the wind for change is strong and the KEC has to be a company reborn to the extent that it can actively cope with changes to ensure its continuous existence, as called for in this day and age.
CEO Chang said, We have to change our financial structure by increasing income and cutting spending to reduce debts for our sound financial health.
In order to bring this about, we have to break up our bureaucratic way of doing business and set up a clean organizational culture so that a trustworthy corporate culture may take deep root and be at the forefront of Korean firms that want to be global concerns by fostering talented global personnel. That is my plan, he added.
A graduate of Seoul National University in 1974, he entered Seoul City and spent more than 30 years with the Seoul Metropolitan Government before retiring in 2006 as the 2nd vice mayor. During his career with the city, he took charge of a number of key posts including a stint as chief of the Subway Construction Headquarters in 2004 and chief of the Cheonggye Stream Recovery Headquarters in 2004 when President Lee Myung-bak was the mayor of the city.
Korea Expressway Corporation was established on Feb. 15, 1969 with a mandate to construct and manage expressways throughout the nation.
The company began building expressways at the end of the 1960s, when the nation's economic conditions were so unfavorable that its per capita income was less than $200 per year. These expressways, which KEC was only able to build after overcoming many serious adversities, became the basis for Korea's dramatic economic growth, called the Miracle of the Han River. Koreans can boast one of the world's top ten economies because of the successful completion of such monumental public works as the Gyeongbu (Seoul-Busan) Expressway. It is not too much to say that these landmark events have been the primary impetus for the entire Korean economy until today.
KEC plans to increase the length of its expressways to 6,160 km by 2020. When this plan becomes a reality, people will be able to reach an expressway anywhere in the country within thirty minutes.
KEC is now using IT technologies to develop truly intelligent highways. Just around the corner is the development of smart highways that will seamlessly integrate people, automobiles and roads.
KEC also plans to take advantage of its experience, technological acumen and capabilities in road construction and management to explore overseas markets. nw

President Chang-Seok-hyo of Korea Expressway Corp.

An inaugural ceremony for President Chang Seok-hyo at the auditorium of the KEC on June 16.

Photo on Courtesy of Korea Expressway Corp.