On November 20, 2023, CEO Yun-Jang Cho was honored as the "Mold Maker of the Year" at the 27th Mold Day ceremony hosted by the Korea Die & Mold Industry Cooperative.
"Mold Maker of the Year" is the highest honor in the mold industry. This recognition was awarded in appreciation of his leadership in technological advancement within the mold sector, including developing new-industry mold technologies specialized for future automotive HVAC systems and lighting mold fields, as well as establishing cycle time reduction solutions through enhanced cooling efficiency to boost productivity.
SAMU KOREA will continue to secure new competitive edges and contribute to the development of the mold industry through ongoing technological innovation efforts.
CEO's Acceptance Speech
Hello, everyone. I am Yoon-jang Jo from Samu Korea.
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the two senior leaders who recommended me for the 'Mold Maker of the Year' award, the Board of Directors for approving the decision, and the Chairman for presenting me with this medal.
Since the 'Mold Maker of the Year' is awarded to only one person each year, it would take a century for 100 people to receive it. That makes me feel that this is a truly extraordinary award—the most meaningful honor in our mold and die industry.
Because it felt like such a heavy responsibility, I hesitated quite a bit to accept it, and I spent a lot of time thinking about what to say in my acceptance speech today.
First, I'd like to do a quick check—just like Olympic gold medalists—to see if this medal is made of pure gold before I continue.
It has no smell, no special taste, and it feels pretty hard when I bite it.
And yet, a wave of tremendous pride is filling my heart.
They say an award achieves its highest value when it is celebrated by many people.
I happened to learn mold technology by chance, and after starting my own business, I ran the company with persistence and stubborn determination despite numerous difficulties, always striving to build the facilities, environment, and culture I envisioned.
When I visited a mold manufacturing company in Germany about 40 years ago, I envied everything I saw.
Today, however, Samu Korea has grown into a fine company that we can proudly show to anyone from around the world.
Beyond our equipment, environment, and technology, we operate a workplace daycare center and have helped produce 49 college graduates over the past 10 years to nurture leaders in our industry, while currently supporting the university education of 21 more employees.
I believe that true change and innovation do not come from always seeking something brand new, but from transforming and advancing the things and businesses that will always remain essential to us.
While I cannot change the world, I believe I can make a difference in my family and my company, and I am continually striving to make a small contribution to positive change in our industry.
The journey to get here was by no means smooth, and we will surely face many variables in the future. Nevertheless, I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported me so I could fulfill my role across Samu Korea’s operations, and to society for giving me this opportunity.
Though our mold industry is currently facing an unprecedented recession, I sincerely hope that through patience, perseverance, and wisdom, we can all overcome this downturn together.
Thank you very much, and I wish you all a Happy New Year.