As we embark on a new Business Year, I'd like to share with you an important goal—a dream that Team AMORE should collectively aspire to achieve.

For many years, I've harbored a particular thought, one that originated from a book I read about two decades ago: Cultures in Motion: Mapping Key Contacts and Their Imprints in World History. This comprehensive work delves into pivotal cultural developments in human history, from Hellenistic and Egyptian civilizations to Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, imperialism, communism, and nationalism.

The section on art history particularly captured my attention. Historically, Japan played a crucial role in the genesis of modern painting. Even the renowned Vincent van Gogh drew significant inspiration from ukiyo-e, the woodblock prints of Japan's Edo period. Japanese merchants used ukiyo-e designs as a packaging material when exporting ceramics and Westerners began to repurpose these as wall decorations, creating demand and ultimately influencing the formation of Japonism in Europe.

Becoming Asia's No.1: A Stepping Stone to Global Leadership
Upon finishing the book, I envisioned that if a revised edition were to be published two decades later, we should author its final chapter. The now-ubiquitous term 'K-beauty' was actually coined by our company about 25 years ago. Since then, K-beauty has evolved through global communication and integration to achieve its current stature. Reflecting on this, I do believe we've reached a critical juncture where we can make a significant mark on world cultural history.
My aspiration is to establish Amorepacific as a central player on the global stage. As an intermediate milestone, we will challenge ourselves to become Asia's No.1 in about a decade. We've dubbed this ambitious journey the Himalaya Project. Needless to say, it won't be an easy path, but I'm fully committed to achieving this goal alongside you, Team AMORE, and I'll dedicate myself wholeheartedly to nurturing each of you into talent befitting this era.

The Prerequisite for 'Global Talent' in Our Time
Plants require essential elements for growth—primarily light, water, and nutrients. They grow towards the light needed for photosynthesis. Water facilitates circulation; a plant's height is determined by how high water can reach, and without circulation, even nutrient-rich soil cannot support growth. Soil nutrients form the foundation for plant development.

What about human growth? First, we need dreams and hopes as our guiding light. We also need to undertake meaningful work to realize these dreams. Work allows us to exercise our abilities, which is why creating a system that makes work enjoyable is crucial. We must also establish a robust reward system as the tangible basis for growth. We will strive to create a workplace where these diverse elements harmonize to foster the growth of every Team AMORE member.

So, what defines a talent suited for our times? First, one must be a 'brand specialist' who understands customers' lifestyles and creates appealing products and brands. We also need 'global specialists' who can operate on the world stage without being confined to a Korean perspective, collaborating with diverse global distributors. It's also crucial to foster 'digital specialists' who can adeptly use digital devices and adapt to the proliferation of generative AI and other forms of artificial intelligence.

To achieve this, we must arm ourselves with 'dynamic capabilities' that allow us to adapt to global changes with maximum agility. The era of merely fostering insurmountable excellence based on core competencies is over. We need to swiftly read global shifts, understand our ever-changing customers around the world and novel distribution systems, and embrace contemporary technologies.

The Spirit of 'One Team' - Interdependence
In our journey towards the summit of Project Himalaya, we must remember one crucial point: we need to remain united as 'One Team'. While one can easily climb a neighborhood hill alone, scaling the world’s highest mountain is impossible without teamwork. Humanity, despite our relative physical vulnerability compared to other animals, has achieved remarkable progress by living collectively, acting together, and creating societies where we rely on each other.

Team AMORE, the Himalayas don’t consist of a single mountain. It comprises fourteen peaks over 8,000 meters in height and countless others between 6,000 and 7,000 meters. Peaks of diverse heights, environments, and regions come together to form the roof of the world. Our company finds itself in a similar situation. Under the name of Amorepacific, we have diverse brands, operate in various countries and markets, and bring together talent with differentiated backgrounds and expertise.

As we face the grand goal of transforming world civilization, I hope we can truly become One Team, bravely sharing our thoughts and wisdom, engaging in dynamic exchanges, and aiming for the same summit. Through this process, we can become a global company represented by global talent.