Hasung C&I entered the IT market with the conviction that information and communication technology would shape the future of industry, even before the 1997 IMF financial crisis. Over the past 30 years, the company has built and operated IT systems for public institutions such as the Ministry of Unification, the National Fire Agency, and the National Tax Service, establishing a nearly two-decade partnership with SK Group after being named a 'Happy Partner' in 2005.
As of 2025, Hasung C&I has grown to a revenue of 13.5 billion won (approximately $10 million) and employs over 150 staff. The company has successfully executed challenging public projects, including the Ministry of Unification's inter-Korean exchange cooperation system, earning an 'A' rating from SK Click ESG and receiving recognition from the National Assembly's standing committee for three consecutive years, which has bolstered its credibility in the market. Yoon Cheol-han, CEO of Hasung C&I, aims to position the company as a mid-sized IT firm with 'genuine execution capability' even as AI transforms the SI/SM industry.
Below is a Q&A with CEO Yoon Cheol-han.
- Please introduce Hasung C&I.
"Founded in 1997, our company has provided customized total IT services based on extensive project experience and verified technical personnel for nearly 30 years. We have been responsible for building and operating IT systems for public institutions (such as the Ministry of Unification, the National Fire Agency, and the National Tax Service) and SK Group. Being selected as a 'Happy Partner' of SK Group in 2005 allowed us to continue our business with the support of a co-growth policy, achieving annual revenues exceeding 10 billion won and maintaining stable operating profits."
- What motivated the founding of the company, and what were the biggest challenges?
"Twenty-nine years ago, we were at a turning point with the rise of PC communication and the early spread of the internet. The belief that information and communication technology and software would determine national competitiveness, along with a spirit of challenge to make the world more convenient through technology, were the core motivations for founding the company. However, just as we were getting on track at the end of 1997, the IMF financial crisis hit, leading many companies to bankruptcy and freezing IT investments. The initial market development and survival became significant barriers. We had to constantly retrain our workforce and innovate our business model to keep pace with rapid technological changes, and securing talented individuals amid competition with large corporations was a constant concern for me as a manager."
- What is the secret to maintaining partnerships with large corporations like SK Group and the Ministry of Unification?
"I believe our technical flexibility and flawless reliability, which satisfy the stringent demands for technological innovation and efficiency from SK and the rigorous security and procedural transparency requirements from the Ministry of Unification, are key. Particularly, since SK Group defined its partners as 'co-creators of happiness' following Chairman Chey Tae-won’s declaration of 'Happy Partner Management' in 2005, it has fostered a culture of coexistence. Since 2017, after 'Deep Change 2.0', the support system for partners has been maintained and expanded for nearly 20 years, focusing on finance, technology, and education."
- How does Hasung C&I differentiate itself from large SI companies?
"While large SIs provide massive, standardized infrastructure, we differentiate ourselves by offering more flexible and closely tailored professional services at reasonable costs, leveraging our proven technical expertise in public, financial, and telecommunications sectors. We analyze our clients' unique business processes to build customized systems, targeting niche markets that are too small for large SIs and too complex for typical small SIs. Our strength also lies in our commitment to 'responsible management', ensuring project continuity and rapid response to issues by deploying our own highly skilled engineers with extensive experience."
- What do you attribute to the longevity of a small IT company surviving for over 25 years?
"Starting with a capital of 200 million won and growing to 13.5 billion won in revenue, the core reasons for our longevity can be summarized in four points. First, the trust built through long-term relationships with large corporations and public institutions. Second, a focus on our core business of system construction and stable maintenance. Third, our quality competitiveness established through flawless project execution, such as the Ministry of Unification's inter-Korean exchange cooperation system. Fourth, our commitment to sustainable transparent management, as evidenced by achieving an 'A' rating from SK Click ESG and participating in Save the Children’s 'WESAVE' initiative. I believe our longevity stems from maintaining a symbiotic relationship with large corporations based on the technical credibility we have built in our core business while adeptly embracing ESG and new technologies in line with the times."
- What prompted IT companies to take ESG management seriously?
"In the past, ESG was seen as the domain of large corporations, but for mid-sized and small IT companies like ours that closely collaborate with large corporations and public institutions, it has become a key indicator for supply chain due diligence and trust building. To align with major partners like SK Group, we established transparent governance and committed to practicing environmental and social responsibility, which I believe is a long-term survival strategy. This is not about performative management for awards, but about genuinely implementing a sustainable management system that instills pride in our employees and reassures stakeholders."
- How have employees responded to the company's social contribution activities?
"We engage in social contributions with a clear philosophy rather than one-off donations. Through Save the Children’s 'WESAVE', we contribute to the UN SDGs goals of eradicating poverty and reducing inequality, while also supporting climate crisis response initiatives, thereby practicing values related to climate action and terrestrial ecosystem conservation. Witnessing the company create tangible changes for the future of the planet and children has fostered a deep sense of connection and loyalty among employees, who feel they are 'key players in creating a better world'. We plan to expand our 'employee participation volunteer activities' to enable staff to provide practical help to local communities."
- With the announcement of 'Vision 2026', the company’s website has been completely revamped. What kind of company should Hasung C&I be by 2026?
"We aim to be a company that proves genuine execution capability, breaking the limitations of small businesses rather than just talking about ESG. This revamp is not merely about channel maintenance; it publicly declares our ESG management philosophy. We have disclosed three years of financial information (IR) and established a reporting channel for ethical management to build a transparent management system. We are not settling for the practical limitations of shared offices; we believe that small actions, such as adopting 'Micro RE100' for immediate carbon neutrality and transitioning corporate vehicles to eco-friendly mobility, are the true start of net-zero. In 2026, we plan to publish a 'Sustainability Management Report' that compiles these efforts, proving our achievements with data and establishing ourselves as the most trusted 'ESG model partner'."
- There are many discussions about AI changing the SI/SM industry. How is this felt on the ground?
"AI is deeply penetrating all stages of coding, infrastructure management, and service planning, fundamentally changing the industry landscape. Simple, function-focused IT services are becoming obsolete, and only companies that redesign their businesses around AI will survive. However, I believe AI is not eliminating the IT industry; rather, it is expanding the market. As CEO, I see three immediate tasks for organizational survival. First, we must redesign our product and business models to be AI-driven, internalizing services for industry-specific processes that generic AI cannot easily replicate and accumulating unique operational data from clients to create competitive advantages. Second, we need to fully adopt AI-based development environments, allowing developers to focus on architecture design and complex business logic instead of simple coding, transforming our organization into a lean one where a few key talents can move quickly using AI as a tool. Third, we must shift evaluation criteria to focus on AI utilization capabilities while establishing security and verification systems to mitigate risks from source code leaks or AI hallucinations."
- How would you define Hasung C&I in ten years?
"I hope it becomes a company where employees directly manage the business, similar to Yuhan Corporation, while shareholders fulfill only their roles as investors."
- What advice would you give to young people entering the IT industry and fellow managers of small IT companies?
"To young people, I would say not to be swayed by technology trends but to trust in their fundamentals and attitude to solve problems thoroughly. Focusing on how to resolve issues rather than what tools to use will enable quick adaptation to new technologies. Now is the time when the cost of failure is the lowest, so I encourage them to dive in without fear. To my fellow managers, I would advise that the tougher the market, the more we should return to our essence and sharpen our core competitiveness. We should attract talent not with salaries and benefits but with growth experiences, and instead of trying to do everything well, we should deeply penetrate our niche market to establish a monopoly and actively engage with fellow industry managers to support each other."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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