SK Heritage Museum

Memorial Hall

This area of reflection in the basement commemorates the lives of the two titans and allows visitors to contemplate on their management philosophy. (B1)

The Remembrance Hall is a space for reflecting on the management philosophy of Founding Chairman Choi Jongkun and Former Chairman Chey Jong-hyon, who made SK Group what it is. The exterior of the Hall was constructed by rebuilding the administrative building from Sunkyong Textile’s Suwon factory, which was one of only buildings to survive the Korean War unscathed. This building was used as a field HQ while the factory was being rebuilt and it is a well-known fact that the Founding Chairman spent most nights sleeping on a camp-bed in the admin building as he supervised the transformation of the ruins into a working factory. The two chairmen were known as titans of the Korean economy, who showed paegi and acumen, drive and meticulousness as they reconstructed Sunkyong Textiles on a barren wasteland and laid the cornerstone for today’s SK, a group that has adjusted to a changing society by diversifying from fabric into oil and construction among others. The Remembrance Hall, which is imbued with an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, is a space where visitors can come to understand the achievements of Founding Chairman Choi Yong-gun and Former Chairman Chey Yong-hyon by reviewing information about their life stories along with photographs, memorabilia, holographic messages, quotes, anecdotes and interviews reminiscing about them.

Founding Chairman Choi Jongkun

This space in the basement displays photos and personal effects that commemorate key moments in the life story of Founding Chairman Choi Jongkun. (B1)

Founding Chairman Choi Jongkun was a pioneer who created something out of nothing and was also a patriot who contributed to the country through his company. By rebuilding a factory that had been destroyed by war, he was able to lay the foundation that enabled Sunkyong to grow into the global SK Group, and by making a ‘company for the people’ he contributed to the development of the Korean economy. Although he died at the relatively young age of 48, he left an indelible mark on the Korean economy by founding and developing SK Group with courage and tenacity, perseverance and passion, drive and determination, and foresight and philanthropy.

Former Chairman Chey Jong-hyon

This space in the basement displays photos and personal effects that commemorate key moments in the life story of Former Chairman Chey Jong-hyon. (B1)

Former Chairman Chey Jong-hyon was known as a patriotic businessman who loved Korea and the Korean people and as an earnest executive who was at the forefront of the development of the Korean economy. He succeeded Founding Chairman Choi Jongkun and laid the cornerstone for the development of SK Group as well as the modernization of Korean industry. He particularly contributed to the development of the nation and its learning by seeking to develop human resources. The innovative insight and knowledge that he displayed, in tandem with his steadfast conviction to always doing the right thing and his unwavering philosophy on fostering human resources, meant that he was highly respected and, moreover, will surely touch your heart.

A Match made in Heaven

This exhibit introduces the management philosophy of the two brothers who were powers in Korean financial circles with their paegi and intellect. (B1)

Founding Chairman Choi Jongkun established Sunkyong Textiles in 1953, and his brother joined him in managing the company in 1962 after completing his studies in the USA. The two former chairmen, who were known as a ‘duumvirate of paegi and acumen’, were loving brothers but were also close business partners who trusted each other implicitly. The founding chairman’s impulsive drive and passion combined with the former chairman’s meticulous planning and wisdom enabled Sunkyong to shrewdly overcome many ordeals. The founding chairman’s love for his younger brother was second to none, matched only by Former Chairman Chey Jong-hyon’s respect for his older brother. The two chairmen were people who embodied the persona of passion and paegi in their lives. Visitors can reminisce about and celebrate the lives of the two chairmen, who stood tall like two bastions of integrity.