Why doesn’t Korea have a ‘CEO Day’?

The recent rise of Korea’s semiconductor industry and K-shipbuilding, along with the high-profile meetings of global leaders from Seoul to Las Vegas, symbolically reveal where Korea now stands on the world stage.

When Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang meets with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Chung Euisun, it is not merely a courtesy visit. It is a moment where technology, industry and national competitiveness intersect in a single frame.

The world today stands in the midst of an invisible industrial war, and at the very front line of that war are companies and the people who lead them.

But are only large conglomerates standing on that front line? Certainly not. In Korea, 99.9 percent of enterprises are small and medium-sized businesses. They employ 81 percent of the workforce, generate 44 percent of total sales and account for nearly 40 percent of exports. Across the country, hidden champions are competing vigorously in global markets. Venture firms such as Rebellions and FuriosaAI in the artificial intelligence semiconductor field have reached billion-dollar valuations, placing themselves at the center of the global race for technological supremacy.

In this battlefield of “gunfire without sound,” companies have sustained growth, created jobs and contributed to national wealth. One could even dare to say, “entrepreneurs are true patriots.” While the occasional misconduct by a few casts shadows over the whole, the vast majority of business leaders are, at this very moment, making difficult decisions and carrying heavy responsibilities at the front lines of management.

The fate of a company depends on the vision and judgment of its CEO. Under the same crisis, some companies leap forward while others fade into history. A CEO’s strategy determines the success or failure of a business, and a CEO’s leadership shapes organizational culture. When a company closes its doors, the impact spreads far beyond its walls, to employees, families, partner firms and local communities. A CEO’s decision is not merely a corporate matter; it is a social matter.

For this reason, I propose establishing a CEO Day.

This is not about celebrating CEOs for the sake of celebration. It is about providing an opportunity for all CEOs in Korea to reflect once more on the meaning of entrepreneurship and to recognize it as a vital form of social capital for our society. It is about building a society where entrepreneurship is respected, where challenges are encouraged and where leadership becomes an aspiration.

On Oct. 25 last year, a CEO Day event was held at the National Assembly, hosted by CEO&, a monthly business magazine, where the CEO Great Charter was proclaimed. I had the privilege of helping prepare the event. It was a small beginning, but its symbolic meaning was far from small.

Korea already commemorates many national days: Independence Movement Day, Constitution Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day. There are also days honoring workers, farmers, scientists, the environment, the police and information technology. Should there not be at least one day that honors the companies and business leaders who keep the heart of the Korean economy beating?

CEO Day should not belong only to CEOs. It should be a day that delivers a message of hope and challenge to young people who dream of becoming future leaders. It should be a day when society as a whole celebrates a culture that respects entrepreneurs and aspires to leadership.

On that day, what if 50 million Koreans applauded not only the CEOs and employees of large corporations such as Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, LG and POSCO, but also those of the countless mid-sized, small and venture firms that quietly sustain the nation? A day when society responds to their global challenges and when entrepreneurship is elevated into a shared national value.

If such a day were to take root, the future of Korea would be far stronger than it is today.

To all the CEOs and employees who, even at this moment, are striving toward the global market, I extend my deepest respect and warmest encouragement.

Hong Dae-soon is professor of Kwangwoon University.