Sung II Hwan

President Sung Il-hwan took his office as the top official of Korea Airports Corp. on March 25. The former chief of the Korean Air Force said he will do his best to improve the operation and services of regional airports under the management of KAC. In his inaugural address, the CEO said he will lead KAC to continue to do its best to make a great contribution to the growth of the national economy by managing its operation well, including the construction, management and operation of 14 regional airports across Korea. He will make security, in-flight service and safety the foremost priorities in KAC’s operation, as airports are the gateways of Korea, so that foreign passengers get very good first impressions of the country. He will also try to expand the number of air passengers to more than 70 million annually, with annual earnings from airports under KAC management rising to 880 billion won this year from 810 billion won last year. KAC has been running without deficit in its operation in the past 12 years with no debts, a record among the government-run firms. He said only three of the 14 regional airports that KAC manages — Gimpo, Gimhae and Jeju — made a profit last year. He will try to expand the operation of Gimpo Airport, as it is located so close to Seoul, because many business people prefer to use the airport for various reasons. He will try to open the Gimpo-Kaoshiung Air Route as soon as possible, and he expects that will help expand the operation of the airport. Korea Airports Corp. (KAC) was recognized as the “Best Workplace in Asia (500+ employees)” at 2015 Great Place To Work Asia Conference held in Mumbai, India, from Feb. 5th to 7th. The Award “Best Workplaces in Asia” assesses 1,500 companies in 50 Asian countries who have applied to GWP 100 Best selection process and selects those that best carry out management based on trust. The assessment is conducted in three stages in reference to international standards.