HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap delivers a speech during a ceremony to declare the company's new vision at Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Courtesy of HD Hyundai

By Park Jae-hyuk

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group changed its name to HD Hyundai, the same name that has been used for the group's holding firm since August, the shipbuilding group said Monday.

The 50-year-old group also held a ceremony the same day to declare its new vision at Global R&D Center (GRC) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The 20-story building is the group's new headquarters, which replaces the previous one in Jongno District in downtown Seoul.

Intending to pioneer the future of humanity through innovation and challenge, HD Hyundai came up with three core elements for its vision concerning its various businesses.

Its flagship shipbuilding and offshore sector vowed to realize the infinite potential of the ocean. The group's energy sector promised to actualize a sustainable future energy ecosystem, while its industrial machinery sector said it will seek to provide industrial solutions transcending spatio-temporal limits.

"Today is the day our group restarts at GRC with a new name, HD Hyundai," HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap said in his congratulatory remarks. "Our past 50 years were a glorious history as we decorated one page of Korea's economic development. In the next 50 years, we will make history through innovation and creativeness of integrating technology, the environment and digital."

HD Hyundai President Chung Ki-sun gave a presentation to employees at the event, in order to be more specific about the company's new visions.

"Our leaders will make preemptive efforts to make our employees want to work at our company and enable their dreams to come true at our company," he said. "We will create a smarter working environment and corporate culture."

HD Hyundai also disclosed its new corporate identity (CI).

Dubbed "Forward Mark," its new symbol is in the shape of an arrow consisting of triangles that were used for its previous pyramid-shaped symbol. HD Hyundai explained that Forward Mark's dynamic shape symbolizes the company's willingness to go forward through changes and that its green color means a sustainable future.

According to HD Hyundai, Monday's ceremony was finished after over 1,000 employees flew paper planes that contained written messages cheering on their company. The group also livestreamed the event via YouTube for its manufacturing workers in Ulsan, Yeongam in South Jeolla Province, and Seosan in South Chungcheong Province.

Prior to the ceremony, the participants of the 341-kilometer relay walkathon that started on Nov. 16 arrived at GRC. They were greeted by HD Hyundai's executives, including Chairman Kwon and President Chung.