With another New Year upon us, it’s a reminder of how quickly the world’s advancing as we seek to seize opportunities and negotiate challenges. It’s also a time when many of us reflect on the past year.
Looking back on 2023 recalls memories that made the year special for our Newsroom. So, we gathered together members of Samsung C&T’s four groups – Engineering & Construction, Trading & Investment, Fashion, and Resort – to ask them which of our stories they liked most over the last 12 months. And these were the articles they picked.
Building communities and cityscapes
Published right at the start of 2023, it is easy to see why “Samsung C&T helps communities to grow stronger” was fondly remembered. The article focused on the Samsung Village Project, through which the Engineering & Construction Group aims to implement projects to improve housing, education, sanitation, and health conditions in Korea and overseas. Having started construction on village number ten in Vietnam’s flood-prone Kỳ Anh district, which was found to be in urgent need of repairs in residential spaces and schools, the group again demonstrated a strong commitment to fulfilling its social responsibilities. The article is also worth checking out for its video examples from Bangladesh and Vietnam.
The Engineering & Construction Group also highlighted “Samsung C&T, expanding to the world, has won a new large-scale project,” referring to its successful bid to build a complex in Kaohsiung – the latest in a series of projects that the group has undertaken that have helped to shape Taiwanese cityscapes, including a landmark high-rise building, a high-speed railway, petrochemical plants, and a theme park. Once it’s completed, the Fubon Aozihdi Development Project in Kaohsiung will comprise a 48-story office building, a 23-story hotel, and a podium connecting the two below the 13th floor – not to mention a shopping mall and an aquarium.
Harnessing the sun, fueling food supply
For the Trading & Investment Group, the sun quite literally continued to rise as a priority in 2023. With the group taking on various business activities related to solar power, it was able to sign a contract for 15 new projects in Texas spanning an area the size of 3,450 soccer fields – as we can recall via ”Samsung C&T’s deal to expand solar power presence in the U.S.” These projects promise to supply a combined capacity of 3 GW, which Is enough to power 600,000 American households per year.
With Oct. 13 marking Global Fertilizer Day, the Trading & Investment Group was able to raise awareness of the importance of various kinds of fertilizer to international food supply. The related article, “Getting to know fertilizer,” was part of a “Getting to know” series that offers clear and insightful infographic explanations of various commodities that the group knows intimately. In the case of fertilizer, Samsung C&T has operated in the business since the 1970s.
Breaking conventions as a brand’s reborn
“Remaking fashion for 20 years: Thom Browne” marked a special moment for Samsung C&T, as this article highlighted Thom Browne’s brand philosophy while recounting a series of personal appearances by the renowned designer at 10 Corso Como, the curated fashion and lifestyle store run by the Fashion Group. Browne is known for defying conventions, such as by pairing a jacket and tie with shorts. Oct. 20 was particularly memorable because 10 Corso Como’s flagship store in Seoul was able to host an exclusive 20th birthday celebration for the Thom Browne brand, with the designer himself holding a book signing event followed by an exhibition and party.
The Fashion Group’s menswear brand Galaxy turned 40 in October and it was a chance to develop a new identity of tailored excellence. The accompanying story, “Finding your elegance with Galaxy,” told of new beginnings and a goal to grow Galaxy into a global brand that can reach 250 billion won in sales by 2028. After four decades, Galaxy is branching out into diverse lines to be able to more perfectly serve the needs of different market segments. For example, Lansmere is a high-end line, ready to compete with other global luxury labels with a bespoke service to tailor clothing using the highest quality fabrics.
Pandas, pandas everywhere!
Giant pandas are always a big attraction at the Resort Group’s Everland Zoo south of Seoul. But there was a noticeable spike of around 7,000 visitors to Everland’s Panda World in the last week of May – up roughly 20% from the first week of May. And a big part of the appeal was baby panda Fu Bao, who has millions of fans enjoying her antics on social media. She lives at Everland with her parents Ai Bao and Le Bao, hence the article, “Visitors flock to Everland’s Panda World to see baby Fu Bao and parents.”
While Fu Bao is set to head to China to find a mate in an effort to boost this endangered species, she also now has twin sisters, as stated by the headline of this article, “It’s two girls! Panda twins born at Everland.” Pandas famously have difficulty breeding because females are only fertile for a short period of time each spring. Based on the interest in the twins’ images and videos so far, they are set to be a huge hit among Panda World visitors in 2024! And speaking of which, let us also take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy New Year!
