Korean Re New Year’s Concert in 2024
Korean Re hosted a new year’s event on January 4, 2024. Employees and their families got together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the New Year’s Concert, which featured a program in two parts. For the first part of the event, the audience watched a video montage of Korean Re’s achievements and successes and listened to a welcoming address from CEO Jong-Gyu Won. New joiners were also introduced and welcomed to the company with a warm applause. The audience had an opportunity to watch a video recap highlighting 10 years of the New Year’s concerts.
In his welcoming address, CEO Jong-Gyu Won expressed his heartfelt appreciation to employees, saying that thanks to their hard work and dedication, Korean Re was able to achieve great results over the past year. He also expressed his best wishes to all the new employees, saying that he hoped they would grow into reinsurance experts in the future.
After dinner was served, the second part of the event began, with guests being guided to a concert hall. Conductor Si-Yeon Sung and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra performed Tchaikovsky’s Italian Capriccio and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8. Violinist In-Mo Yang, who is hailed as “Korea’s Paganini of the 21st century,” played Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen and Ravel’s Tzigane. The melodic richness and rhythmic vitality of the classical pieces filled the concert hall, captivating the audience.
Over the last 10 years, it has been Korean Re’s tradition to hold a classical music concert at the beginning of a new year, inviting its clients, partners, employees, and their family members to the event in celebration of the new year. Korean Re will continue this tradition, demonstrating its commitment to engaging with its members in meaningful ways.
The 40th Korean Re Seminar Brings Together Global Reinsurance Experts
Korean Re successfully hosted the 40th Korean Reinsurance Seminar from May 20 to 24, 2024. The opening ceremony and a diverse range of seminar activities were held at the Korean Re head office in Seoul, as well as various industrial sites around the country over five days. This year, Korean Re welcomed 21 delegates from 17 insurers across 12 jurisdictions, including China, the UK, France, Switzerland, and Vietnam.
The comprehensive program featured insightful presentations by Korean Re on underwriting techniques and major developments and issues within the Korean and global insurance markets. In addition, Korean Re arranged field trips to various industrial sites across Korea, allowing participants to observe industrial operations firsthand. A curated cultural program also provided delegates with an immersive experience of Korean culture.
Initiated in 1979, the Korean Re Seminar has evolved into a vital platform for information exchange and discussion on important topics affecting the global insurance industry. Since then, this annual event has been attended by a number of professionals from 60 jurisdictions across the world. It is now widely recognized among insurance market participants as one of the most prestigious reinsurance seminars in Asia.
In his opening address, CEO Jong-Gyu Won highlighted the significance of this gathering, saying, “The Korean Re Seminar has the longest history and tradition among our events. It is a source of great pride for us.” He also expressed his hope that the event would serve as an opportunity for participants to gain valuable experience and obtain the latest information on the global reinsurance market.
Korean Re Wins iF Design Award 2024 for its Renewed CI
Korean Re won a world-renowned iF Design Award in the Communication category for its corporate identity (CI) renewal. The iF International Forum Design GmbH, based in Hannover, Germany, is one of the oldest independent design organizations and annually recognizes outstanding design achievements. The iF Design Award, along with Germany’s Red Dot and America’s International Design Excellence Award (IDEA), ranks among the top three design awards worldwide.
Marking its 60th anniversary, Korean Re commissioned the new CI development to Interbrand in 2023 and was awarded for the renewed CI. The CI embodies the themes of “Boldness & Lightness” in its font and has been lauded for reflecting the company’s aspirations for professionalism and adaptability in risk management. The new CI represents qualities that every reinsurance company aspires to achieve: professionalism and flexibility. On accepting the award, Korean Re expressed its commitment to remaining a trustworthy partner for its clients through continued efforts to meet their expectations.
Korean Re Participates in Home Rebuilding Project by Habitat for Humanity Korea
A delegation of 22 volunteers, including 19 new employees from Korean Re, visited Tangerang, Indonesia from April 18 to 23, 2024 to participate in a home rebuilding project in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Korea. The initiative targeted the reconstruction of homes for low-income families in Tangerang, a city on the island of Java, Indonesia.
Tangerang is known for its rural communities and vulnerability to natural disasters such as frequent river flooding. Many residents in this region are living in makeshift homes they constructed themselves, with their safety being on the line due to dire living conditions.
During the project, volunteers from Korean Re engaged in various activities, including moving bricks and construction materials, mixing mortar, and applying cement plaster to the homes being rebuilt for families living in at-risk conditions. Additionally, the team conducted a house dedication ceremony, fostering engagement and interaction with the local community and homeowners.
Korean Re has consistently supported this non-profit organization, deploying volunteers to disaster-affected sites for the past 11 years. Excluding the interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company’s employees have actively participated in annual volunteer activities since 2014, beginning from Cebu, the Philippines. Over the years, these activities have included efforts in regions severely impacted by natural disasters, such as Bantayan Island in the Philippines, which was struck by Typhoon Haiyan, and Ayutthaya, Thailand, a community devastated by flooding.
CEO Jong-Gyu Won underscored the importance of housing stability, stating, “A home is the base upon which everything is built to protect those within. Supporting those in need to ensure a basic level of safety resonates deeply with the principles of reinsurance.” He went on to add, “Korean Re will continue to lead social contribution activities and strive to enhance the living conditions of at-risk communities, thereby strengthening the resilience of society.”
Korean Re Takes Action in River and Beach Cleanups for a Healthier Environment
In October 2024, Korean Re employees engaged in environmental volunteer activities focused on river and beach cleanups. From October 23 to 25, a group of Korean Re volunteers visited Saetgang Ecological Park in Yeouido, Seoul, supporting various environmental protection efforts, including water purification with Effective Microorganism (EM) mud balls, tree planting to reduce fine dust, and the removal of invasive plant species to promote biodiversity in the riverside park.
The EM mud balls are designed to improve water quality and reduce unpleasant odors in rivers. They are created by mixing an EM solution of beneficial microorganisms with clay and then fermenting the mixture to produce these environmentally friendly purifiers.
Earlier, on October 18 and 25, Korean Re teams conducted marine cleanup activities at Yongmuchi Beach in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, collecting plastic bottles and other marine debris from the beach. Since adopting Yongmuchi Beach as a “companion beach” in 2022, Korean Re has been dedicated to regular cleanup efforts at the site. Last year, employees collected a total of 1,452 kilograms of waste, underscoring the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship. The companion beach initiative involves adopting a beach to foster regular cleanup and environmental protection efforts.
As Korean Re continues to expand its social responsibility initiatives with a steadfast commitment to giving back to the community, it encourages every employee to participate in at least one volunteer activity each year. The river and beach cleanup programs involve 12 rounds of activities annually, engaging approximately 240 employees in meaningful environmental conservation efforts.
