Standing together at the starting line of a new year, being able to speak with you about the future of K-water as we look in the same direction, fills me with a sense of deep gratitude and excitement. As we greet this dynamic “Year of the Red Horse,” I hope that K-water will leap even higher, and that your families will be filled with achievement and joy.
Over the past year, we were busy reading the tides of the times and preparing for a greater future. We refined our future strategies more clearly under the vision of becoming the world’s No. 1 leader in AI water management by bringing together everyone’s wisdom, and began in earnest to improve the very foundation of our organization with safety culture and AI transformation as the two pillars. In addition, by achieving the highest grade in the Comprehensive Integrity Assessment for the first time in our history, we have grown into a company that lives up to public trust and expectations.
We are now fully prepared to move forward toward a new future. Now is the time to act. This year, based on the solid groundwork we have laid over the years, we must deliver visible achievements that everyone can truly feel. The tasks before us are formidable, but they are missions we must accomplish without fail. Protecting the public from climate crises, creating water pathways for advanced industries, and supporting national strategic initiatives through water-energy solutions; leaping forward as a global company through technological innovation; and taking the lead in the emerging climate-tech industry to create new growth engines for Korea—these are historical missions that only we can fulfill.
If we move forward steadfastly like a galloping red horse, 2026 will become a precious turning point that opens a new era of water. With this conviction, I would like to present four milestones we must reach this year.

First, let us faithfully carry out our mandate as a public corporation and help build a “society with strong fundamentals.”

Protecting the lives and property of the people is the very reason for K-water's existence. We must advance our digital twin water management platform by integrating AI-based dam operation forecasting with satellite technologies. Through this, let us quickly establish a seamless climate safety net by upgrading dam operation to an autonomous, intelligent level. Securing stable water storage must be pursued in a direction that resonates with the nation and the public. Let us concentrate our capabilities on working out effective measures such as groundwater storage dams, interconnection between facilities, and multi-purpose utilization of hydropower and agricultural dams.
In particular, let us greatly expand Water-Positive cooperation with global corporations as this will become a solution to future water shortages and a mechanism for shared and sustainable growth. We must also devote efforts to the integrated management of pollution sources upstream of dams and to the building of healthy aquatic ecosystems.
At the same time, we need to ensure that integrity and safety take root as part of our unique corporate identity. Let us establish integrity as a representative trust asset by building on our achievement of the top integrity rating. By fully introducing physical AI to replace hazardous tasks, ensuring the practical guarantee of the right to stop work, and strengthening the rigor and effectiveness of safety inspections and training, let us put safety-first management into real practice. I am also very confident that we will achieve the remarkable milestone of maintaining an excellent ESG rating (AA) for five consecutive years.

Second, let us lead the national agenda of building the “K-AI and Energy Expressway.”

This year marks the first year of realizing the “K-water AX (AI Transformation) Vision 2030.” We must accelerate AI transformation across all sectors. We will swiftly push forward with the international standardization of AI water treatment plants and upgrade our AI capabilities to a new level by establishing platforms such as AI data centers and data spaces. We must also devote effort to creating a water-specialized physical AI cluster through industry–academe–research collaboration and participation in national policy initiatives.
Even in an era when AI becomes the standard of technology, human expertise remains essential. The ability to read and interpret the complex contexts of real-world sites that may be missed by data makes a decisive difference. We will spare no effort in providing education so that AI and employee expertise can grow harmoniously together.
The grand transition in energy is one of our major missions as well. We must become a reliable partner contributing to national carbon neutrality and RE100 goals by gathering our renewable energy potential, including floating solar power, pumped storage, water thermal energy, and green hydrogen. K-water should spearhead inter-agency cooperation in large-scale tidal power projects such as the Saemangeum Development Project.

Third, we will commit to realizing a “resilient regional era” and providing “practical industrial support.”

The rich environmental value inherent in water is an important resource for balanced national development. Building on solar-powered income generation for villages around dam areas, we must create a win-win model wherein local communities can sustain themselves; we must create vibrant spaces where people gather and energy flows through local branding. By integrating capabilities in energy, water industry, and environmental sustainability, let us establish sustainable urban models characterized by strong circularity and resilience, and accelerate the creation of region-specific innovation ecosystems through the funds we participate in.
Above all, a pressing task is to provide “water-energy solutions” urgently needed in industrial fields. Let us ensure timely and stable supply of high-quality water to national strategic industries such as semiconductors and secondary batteries and open the next stage of the high-tech water treatment sector, building on our first ultrapure water projects. We must also expand direct power purchase agreement (PPA) supply chains, thereby serving as a stepping stone for Korean companies to overcome the barriers of RE100.

Fourth, let us lead the global market with a “leadership and advanced technology package.”

We must further strengthen our stature as a global company by leading technological innovation. Based on the Asia Water Council (AWC), let us demonstrate leadership in global networks and public-private cooperation and deliver tangible business results. Let us prove that our technology is the global standard by proactively participating in Horizon Europe and other world-class R&D projects. Furthermore, we must enhance export competitiveness in the water industry by packaging comprehensive water management capabilities and technologies, and complete a “K-water Management Shared Growth Ecosystem” that pioneers the global market together with innovative companies.
Dear K-water employees!
We are people who make the world a better place. Creating meaningful change is a difficult challenge, but that is why I actually consider it fortunate. Anyone can do what is easy, but not everyone can do what is difficult. I am confident that, when we successfully accomplish the tasks entrusted to us, K-water will become an indispensable pillar of society.
At this very moment, K-water employees are faithfully fulfilling their duties at sites across the country and around the world. They are the true heroes who realize and prove our value, and I am deeply grateful for their dedication and hard work. I fully recognize that it is the sweat shed in the field that turns visions and policies into reality. I will take the lead in listening to your voices and creating an environment where you can work with pride and fulfillment and fully demonstrate your expertise.
I would also like to thank Labor Union Chairman Kichan Park and its members for leading a culture of labor-management cooperation, as well as Auditor SamKyu Rhee for his efforts toward fair management. I hope you will continue to stand together with us, providing firm trust throughout this year as well. Now is the time for us to lead the world. Our innovation is a new answer to global water challenges and a driving force for Korea’s new growth. If we move forward together with pride, relying on one another with firm determination, the future we envision will undoubtedly become a reality.

Happy New Year!

January 2, 2026

Seogdae Yun, CEO