Hanjin CEO Cho Hyun-min Advocates for Fair Market for Women Leaders

Hanjin announced that CEO Cho Hyun-min participated in the 2026 Global Small Business Conference held in Washington, D.C. on July 1, where she delivered a keynote speech and participated in a panel discussion.

According to Hanjin, Cho served as the keynote speaker at the session titled "Global Voices: Borderless Entrepreneurship" held in the Rayburn House Office Building.

Cho stated, "What women leaders truly want in any country is not preferential treatment but a fair market where they can compete based on their abilities." She emphasized that women leaders should be evaluated based on their business excellence, reliability, and capabilities, rather than being labeled as women leaders. To achieve this, she highlighted the need for substantial opportunities, transparent evaluation criteria, and financial support tailored to the growth stages of businesses.

She further asserted that women leaders should be viewed not as subjects to be protected but as agents of innovation. Cho explained that women leaders can drive national economic and industrial paradigm shifts by creating jobs, innovating supply chains, and addressing community issues. She remarked, "True support policies for women leaders do not erect protective barriers but create a level playing field. This is the shortcut to revitalizing small businesses and startups and practicing people-centered entrepreneurship."

Following her keynote address, Cho also participated as a panelist in the session titled "Women Leaders from a Global Perspective" at the Jack Morton Auditorium at George Washington University.

In related news, Hanjin reported a 5.6% increase in consolidated revenue for the first quarter, totaling 769.8 billion won compared to the same period last year. The growth was attributed to increased parcel volumes due to operational efficiencies at facilities like the Daejeon Mega Hub and securing cargo from overseas subsidiaries in North America and Southeast Asia.

However, operating profit fell by 38.1% to 16.9 billion won due to rising costs stemming from global geopolitical instability and a decrease in cargo volumes at major domestic ports.