Lee Jae-yong, president of Daegu Urban Development Corp., speaks during an interview with The Herald Business on Tuesday, saying he will pursue business, management and organizational innovation as three core priorities to sharpen the corporation's competitiveness. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]
Lee Jae-yong, president of Daegu Urban Development Corp., speaks during an interview with The Herald Business on Tuesday, saying he will pursue business, management and organizational innovation as three core priorities to sharpen the corporation's competitiveness. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]

"Daegu Urban Development Corp. will keep thinking and working to make a new leap forward as a public enterprise that prepares for Daegu's future and changes citizens' lives for the better," said Lee Jae-yong, president of the corporation.

Lee made the remarks during an interview with The Herald Business on Tuesday at his office on the third floor of the corporation's headquarters, outlining his vision for the organization. He said he would "propose business innovation, management innovation and organizational innovation as three core priorities to raise the corporation's competitiveness through change and innovation."

Since taking the helm as the 16th president of Daegu Urban Development Corp. on Sept. 18, Lee has kept a schedule that leaves little room to spare, moving from one engagement to the next throughout the day.

"If Daegu Urban Development Corp. has played an important role in stabilizing residential conditions and developing the city, it must now go a step further and reinvent itself as an institution that creates new engines of growth for Daegu," Lee said. "I will bring about real change across our projects, management and organization as a whole."

He particularly stressed the need to identify new projects linked to the city of Daegu's key policies.

"One of the most important roles of a public enterprise is to produce results that citizens can actually feel," Lee said. "I will actively seek out projects that genuinely contribute to regional development by organically connecting the city's policy direction with the corporation's project capabilities."

He then said the corporation should focus on areas where it excels and where Daegu has real needs, rather than simply chasing scale. "We must make strategic choices and concentrate our efforts," he said. "I will lay a new foundation for growth by comprehensively weighing the feasibility, public value and sustainability of each project."

Strengthening financial soundness was also among his top priorities.

"Urban development projects require large-scale capital investment, which means financial soundness is directly tied to the corporation's sustainability," Lee said. "I will closely analyze the profitability and risk factors of each project, cut unnecessary costs and build a stable financial structure."

Lee also shared his vision for operational innovation through AI and digital transformation.

"Digital technology is no longer optional — it is a basic competitive requirement for running a public enterprise," he said. "I will expand AI- and data-driven work systems and streamline repetitive administrative tasks so that employees can focus on more important work."

On organizational culture, he identified communication and collaboration as the cornerstones of reform.

"Organizational change does not happen simply by revising systems," Lee said. "It becomes possible when members share a common understanding of why change is needed and participate together. I will build a culture where people can freely voice their opinions regardless of rank or department, and where everyone's expertise is respected."

He said his decision to visit each department in person right after his inauguration ceremony — greeting employees directly — was a deliberate expression of that commitment to open communication.

"Listening to voices from the ground is more important than anything else," Lee said. "I will not manage from behind a desk reading reports. I will listen directly to what employees and citizens want and find answers in the field."

Lee also emphasized integrity, fairness, safety and ESG management.

"Public trust in a public enterprise is not built on results alone," he said. "I will make integrity and fairness the basic principles of everything we do, and place safety as the top priority."

He added that ESG commitments would not stop at declarations but would be reflected in actual projects and operations. "I will work to make this a public enterprise that grows together with the community while taking environmental and social responsibility seriously," he said.

Lee also laid out a clear direction for the corporation's broader role.

"Urban development is not simply about putting up buildings or developing land," he said. "It is about creating spaces where citizens live and designing the future of a region. I will keep asking how Daegu's industries, residential environment, transportation and daily life will change — and what role this corporation must play in that process."

He also called on employees to embrace active challenge and change throughout his tenure.

"Change naturally brings difficulty and pressure, but failing to change can be an even greater risk," Lee said. "I will build an organization where people can think things through and take on challenges without fear of failure."

In closing, Lee doubled down on his commitment to building a public enterprise that earns citizens' trust.

"I will make this a public enterprise that earns public recognition not only for the results of its projects but also for the fairness and transparency of its processes," he said. "I will do my utmost to ensure that Daegu Urban Development Corp. makes a new leap forward as a public enterprise that prepares for Daegu's future and changes citizens' lives for the better."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com