2026 HD현대 정기선 회장 신년사

HD Hyundai employees, We welcome the New Year of 2026 with a sense of optimism This year marks the Year of the Red Horse In engineering, engine output is measured in horsepower, a term rooted in the horse’s long-standing symbolism of endurance, vitality, and energy Like a horse moving forward with strength and momentum, I hope this year will be filled with passion and energy for all of you Despite a challenging domestic and global environment last year, we delivered meaningful results Supported by the continued growth of our shipbuilding and electric equipment businesses, the group maintained an upward trend

in overall performance and entered the “100 trillion won market cap club” as the fifth-largest company in Korea This milestone reflects the market’s trust in our group and affirms our role as a company essential to the Korean economy At the same time, we reached a historic achievement by becoming the first in the world to deliver 5,000 ships We also continued to invest in future growth areas, including artificial intelligence, SMRs, and fuel cells, while laying the foundation for our next phase of growth through proactive restructuring across our shipbuilding, construction equipment, and petrochemical businesses These achievements were made

possible by the dedication and commitment of all our employees I extend my sincere appreciation to each and every one of you HD Hyundai employees, This year’s business environment is marked by significant uncertainty As the United States moves to expand tariffs, the global economy is shifting back toward protectionism, while oversupply originating in China continues At the same time, our major competitors are reinforcing their scale and competitiveness through strategic alliances and consolidation In particular, Chinese companies are rapidly expanding their presence in global markets, supported by markedly improved technological capabilities and strong price competitiveness Even the shipbuilding sector,

where our group holds the world’s leading position, is not an exception China has already surpassed us in quantitative measures such as order volume and is now intensifying its pursuit in qualitative areas In the face of these challenges, how should we respond? First, we must continue to create unrivaled technologies and products that are recognized by the market In fact, some of the vessels we have delivered recently have demonstrated fuel efficiency more than 20 percent superior to comparable Chinese ships, surprising customers during sea trials In addition, the next-generation construction equipment models recently launched by HD Construction Equipment

are outperforming competitors not only in fuel efficiency but also in operability, earning positive responses in both the domestic and European markets However, technological leadership is never permanent History shows that gaps once thought secure can narrow far more quickly than expected Going forward, we must pursue bold innovation to achieve breakthrough improvements in quality, performance, and cost while continuously developing technologies that can be applied at site Only by doing so can we sustain a true technological edge At the same time, meaningful results are beginning to emerge across the group’s future growth areas including artificial intelligence, autonomous navigation,

fuel cells electric propulsion, battery packs, robotics, SMR, and offshore wind power Building on this momentum, we must now secure core technologies at an early stage, apply them to actual products, and bring them successfully to market Second, we must continue our tradition of ‘challenge without fear' The ‘challenge without fear’ we speak of is not reckless action taken without preparation but the courage to step into uncharted territory by leveraging what we do best This was true of our first challenge—building a shipyard on an empty shoreline while simultaneously undertaking the construction of two ultra-large crude carriers It was

also true at the Jubail Industrial Port project in Saudi Arabia where we made the bold decision to transport jackets as tall as ten-story buildings across more than 10,000 kilometers of open sea In this way, by trusting our capabilities and continuously expanding the stage on which they can be fully realized we have created achievements that only we could accomplish When stepping into unfamiliar territory, it is natural for anyone to instinctively fear failure Such psychological unease can cause hesitation in pursuing bold challenges and new attempts Yet this fear can also be a signal that we are standing

before greater possibilities For this reason, I seek to foster a culture in which initiatives worth pursuing, even those that involve risk can be discussed openly and carried through without hesitation I will stand firmly against complacency and inertia that hinder creativity and challenge within our organization There are many initiatives ahead that demand fearless challenge, including the mergers of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Mipo as well as HD Hyundai Construction Equipment and HD Hyundai Infracore the restructuring of our petrochemical business, the transition to digital shipyards, and the expansion of overseas shipyards Each of these is

a difficult undertaking yet we possess the HD Hyundai DNA that refuses to shy away from challenges, does not fear failure, and is determined to succeed I am confident that with this challenge-without-fear spirit, we can overcome any situation Third, we must build a healthy organization In my view, a healthy organization is one that generates results while enabling employees to fully engage in their work and supporting their growth To become such an organization, we must cultivate a culture that does not hesitate in the face of challenging tasks and openly recognizes accomplishments Goals and direction must be clear

so that every employee can explain for themselves why we do what we do When problems arise, the focus should be on finding solutions together rather than assigning blame Concerns and feedback from the field should reach leaders naturally and leaders must respect those perspectives while striving to make fair and thoughtful decisions Only then can employees believe that they can grow together within this organization To build such an organization, I will take the lead in listening and communicating I also ask all of you to confidently share your ideas and demonstrate the spirit of a “Future Builder,” actively

shaping the organization’s future together Fellow employees Finally, I would like to make one more appeal regarding one of our group’s core values: safety Without ensuring the safety of everyone our efforts toward bold innovation and fearless challenge would be in vain I ask each of you to join forces in making HD Hyundai the safest workplace possible Once again, I sincerely wish health and happiness to you and your families and lastly, I extend my New Year greetings “Happy New Year" Thank you