General trading companies, ’moving in the calm’

General trading firms, which have spearheaded the development of a new
business, are moving in the calm at the beginning of the year.

Most of CEOs who have travelled abroad to diversify businesses more than
once a month are investing their time in the study of management strategy
and business planning of this year in their offices.

Then, what is the topic of this year of these firms?

Trading group of Samsung Corporation has selected ‘total power’ as the
keyword of this year.

It is because the group judged that it has to implement different values by
beneficially circulating the total power held by general trading firms not just one
part to accomplish mid- and long-term vision of a global value creating company.

The company has a plan to strengthen the sound management system along
with continuous growth, innovation of business structure and the reinforcement
of key future businesses such as energy resources business, environment
business and the material business in order to accomplish this objective.

LG International Corp., which welcomed vice chairman, Bon-Joon Koo
last year, plans to concentrate management power on the ’stabilization’
in this year. The LG company established the basic framework for
a mid- and long-term jump by subdividing the structure to strengthen
distinctive competitive power, entering into Chinese civilian helicopter
market and promoting a variety of new businesses including recycled
energy business last year.

The company has a plan to prepare for the future by stabilizing and
enlarging these structure change and new businesses in this year as
it is now prepared to grow one more step.

Hyundai Corporation, due to graduate from the workout program at the
end of the year, has determined ‘change’ and ‘speed’ as the topic
of this year.

President Young-Don Noh asked the company to derive a new ’change’ for
a take-off breaking from old customs and to increase ‘speed’ to grow
faster than the emerging market at the ’2008 business strategy meeting’
in progress from last January 21 in Yongin-Si Gyeonggi-Do.

The president, having appeared as a relief pitcher of the company last
year, had presented ‘innovation’ and ‘communication’ as the keywords
of the year right after the inauguration.

Daewoo International determined the continuous value creation and core
competency reinforcement as the management keyword of this year.

The company, scheduled for the sale of its share held by KAMCO at the
second half of this year if possible, plans to make efforts for value
creation and competency strengthening, not shaken by the outside
environment.

Daewoo International now plans to pay attention to the cash flow along
with the continuous development of growth momentums in the future through
the continuous enlargement of energy and mineral resources development
businesses including the Myanmar gas field.

SK Networks, which entered into the automobile direct importing business
like lightning in last year, has set ‘globalization’ as the keyword of
this year. The company plans to actively make an effort for a leap to
become a global player as it can now guarantee profitability through
various business sectors.

The company currently does gas station business and car maintenance
business in China and is also promoting advance into another markets
along with strengthening of China businesses.