Samyang Group Accelerates Shift to Global Specialty... Chairman Yoon Kim: "Active AI Utilization"

Profitability Improves in Chemical and Semiconductor Materials
Acquisition of Soda Aromatic and Launch of Proprietary AI Platform
Focus on AX Productivity and Cash Flow-Oriented Management

Samyang Group is accelerating efforts to improve work productivity through its AI transformation (AX) and to transition its business structure toward a global specialty-centered model.

Chairman Yoon Kim is explaining the management achievements of the first half of the year and the strategic direction for the second half to employees at the '2026 SAMYANG CONNECT' held on the 18th at the Samyang Discovery Center in Pangyo. Samyang Group

On August 18, Samyang Group announced that it held the '2026 SAMYANG CONNECT' event at the Pangyo Samyang Discovery Center, where it shared its business performance for the first half of the year and strategies for the second half.

SAMYANG CONNECT is an internal event hosted by Yoon Kim, Chairman of Samyang Group, twice a year—in the first and second halves—for the purpose of sharing management performance and strategies and strengthening communication with employees.

On this day, Chairman Kim remarked, "In the first half of this year, the improvement in spreads of our key products in the chemical business drove the overall performance of the group," adding, "Profitability was also enhanced in our specialty (high value-added) materials businesses, such as semiconductors and ion exchange resins."

Key achievements for the first half include the acquisition of the Japanese fragrance company Soda Aromatic, expansion of performance at Samyang NC Chem, and the launch of the group's proprietary AI platform, 'SAMI 2.0.' Chairman Kim emphasized that these accomplishments contributed to meaningful progress across the group’s three core growth pillars: global, specialty, and AX.

Regarding the business environment for the second half of the year, he cited geopolitical risks, supply chain crises, the 'K-shaped' economic polarization, and widening gaps in AI capabilities among companies as major variables. Chairman Kim stated, "The gap between companies that can rapidly commercialize technological innovation and those that cannot is widening, so it is essential to actively leverage AI technologies." He reiterated three management principles: the advancement of a global specialty-centered business portfolio, cash flow-oriented management, and internalization of AI transformation.

Chairman Kim also encouraged, "Based on an open-minded perspective, please do not hesitate to propose ideas needed for our group to evolve into a global specialty enterprise," and urged the company to "achieve this year's goals without fail, grounded in a spirit of challenge and execution, and in the principle-based management of honesty and trust in the second half of the year as well."

At the event, communication programs for employees were also held, including a review of Samyang's proprietary AI platform and the introduction of the 'Compliment King.' For employees at overseas and regional business sites, the event was broadcast live online.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.