In their New Year's messages on Tuesday, major Korean pharmaceutical companies praised their employees for their hard work in overcoming crises, such as Covid-19 and the economic downturn, and expressed their determination to become global pharmaceutical companies by developing innovative new drugs.

All of them anticipate that the economic situation will remain challenging this year and point to new drug development as a way out, reaffirming their intention to continue research and development.

Yuhan will ‘go all out to launch Leclaza successfully’

On Tuesday, Yuhan Corp. CEO Cho Wook-je held the kick-off ceremony and set the management indicators for 2024 as "passion, proactive, and perseverance" to achieve the goal of becoming a "Global Top 50 Pharmaceutical Company" by constantly challenging with passion, acting proactively based on preemptive preparation, and having an indomitable will.

"This year's business environment is expected to remain challenging, but we have a track record of overcoming numerous crises and sustained growth. So, let's overcome any obstacles with the attitude of ‘riding the wind and navigating the waves to fulfill our aspirations,'" Cho said.

He went on to say, “To reach our goal of entering the top 50 global pharmaceutical companies in our 100th founding anniversary two years away, we will make every effort to ensure the successful launch of Leclaza as a global innovative drug, and to increase the value of the company through selection and focus so that we can launch the second and third Leclaza early."

Daewoong set to ‘become a global healthcare company with a high goal’

Daewoong Pharmaceuticals also shared its vision and management policy of “Global Daewoong” through simultaneous online and offline ceremonies.

CEO Lee Chang-je summarized Daewoong's performance in 2023 with the word “triple crown.” It refers to the company's record-breaking performance in the three areas -- sales, operating income, and operating margin.

"Despite many difficulties, including the global economic downturn and uncertain social environment, we achieved solid growth based on the growth of innovative new drugs such as Fexclue, Envlo, and Nabota," Lee said.

Lee also presented five management policies on the day -- enhancing customer value, talent-leading change and innovation, developing next-generation drugs, accelerating the global expansion of three major drugs, and leading digital healthcare.

He then presented “high goals” as a keyword for Daewoong and its employees in 2024. "If we set high goals that cannot be achieved through conventional methods, learn frantically to achieve them, think desperately, and struggle thoroughly, Daewoong Pharmaceuticals will establish itself as Korea's leading pharmaceutical company in the global market," Lee said.

Chong Kun Dang pledges to ‘lay the foundation for sustainable growth’

Chong Kun Dang Pharm started its New Year's work with opening ceremonies at its Chungjeong-ro headquarters in Seoul, Hyojong Research Center, and Cheonan Factory.

"This year, we must do what we can to lay the foundation for sustainable growth as long as we focus on internal management," Chairman Lee Jang-han said in his New Year's speech.

Emphasizing the need to secure Chon Kun Dang’ unique pharmaceutical technologies to drive future growth, Lee said, "We will continue to build on the value of Chong Kun Dang's R&D achievements by creating new modalities that fit the new drug development paradigm, such as cell gene therapy (CGT), ADC, and antibody therapies."

Lee said, "We will also expand our product portfolio to secure competitiveness in various fields such as improved drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and digital medicine. I ask all employees to do their best to fulfill our pharmaceutical company mission until humanity is free from all diseases."

Hanmi vows to ‘turn 2024 into the year to show its power’

In her New Year's message to all employees of the group, Hanmi Pharm Group Chairwoman Song Young-sook said, "Let's show the 'power' inherent in the Hanmi Pharm Group in the New Year of 2024 when the new page of Hanmi's history will be opened."

Chairwoman Song cited the group’s major innovation achievements last year.

They included achieving the No. 1 position in overseas prescriptions in Korea for six consecutive years, securing 22 “blockbuster” products with prescription sales of more than 10 billion won ($7.62 million), developing Hanmi's legacy efpeglenatide’ into an obesity treatment, launching the “H.O.P Project” with five new drugs for obesity, presenting 40 R&D achievements at prestigious conferences overseas, and launching the CDMO business as a new growth engine.

"Over the past 50 years, Hanmi has always found new opportunities amid crises and has demonstrated the 'power of reversal' through innovation," Song said, "We must take on greater responsibility and move forward with a challenging spirit toward greater goals."

She said, "As we set sail for the next 50 years, a new history of achievement and glory will begin if Korean and American families become pioneers in their respective fields and progress. We expect the New Year to be a year of creating a future together with a strong leap forward."

GC Biopharma ‘will prepare all processes perfectly for the time of proof’

In his New Year's speech, GC Biopharma CEO Huh Eun-chul thanked the employees for doing their best in the past year and ordered them to prepare for the “time of proof.”

"The past year was a time of both difficulties and joys," Huh said. "Even in the face of stagnant sales, we achieved the feat of obtaining U.S. FDA’s approval for the blood product ALYGLO with our unique strength and skill."

Huh expressed his gratitude for the dedicated and responsible GC employees, for the confirmation that their uncompromising path to “hard to make but necessary medicine” was the right one, and for moving past the time of possibility and into the “time of proof."

"In the time of possibility, mistakes, and failures become medicine and experience, but in the time of proof, mistakes mean failure, so we will thoroughly and perfectly prepare every process," he said. "As the protagonist of GC, a global company that proves possibilities, let's move forward into the global market with a greater sense of responsibility and mission."

Dong-A Socio pledges 2024 will be a ‘year of courage for a better future’

Dong-A Socio Holdings CEO Jung Jae-hun posted a New Year's message on its intranet for the Year of the Blue Dragon in 2024.

"New technologies have appeared in our society at a rapid pace, including ChatGPT, an interactive artificial intelligence service, but I think it is an opportunity to pioneer new businesses," CEO Jung said. "We need to fuse different industries and technologies to define and solve problems in different ways and develop the ability to challenge given situations."

Jung stressed the need to develop the ability to find answers to various questions and propose better value propositions in the future than the company does now.

"Our job is to create environments and values that allow everyone to live healthily, and we must build on the assets of the 90-year history of the Dong-A Socio Group and the values that we need to change for the next 100 years while fostering the potential for growth based on sustainability," he added.

In conclusion, Jung said, "I hope we will remember the spirit of opening up new paths and creating a better future, dare to deal with mistakes and failures and develop the strength to endure difficult situations without backing down. I hope we will create human values and touch people's emotions in 2024."