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30 Years in the Field: Two Meisters on Perseverance and Fundamentals
2026. 09. 08
30 Years in the Field: Two Meisters on Perseverance and Fundamentals
2026. 09. 08
Competitiveness in manufacturing depends on technical expertise and experience accumulated over many years. The expertise and know-how built by solving problems in the field provide a vital foundation for production, quality, and safety.
To identify and foster this field expertise, LG Chem has operated the LG Chem Meister and Expert Program since 2022. This year, two Meisters and 12 Experts were newly selected. The title of Meister is an honor reserved for the company’s highest-level technical professionals—role models in the field who contribute to organizational growth through outstanding expertise and the development of younger colleagues.
Selected as 2026 LG Chem Meisters were HyunJung Jang, who has spent more than 30 years at the VCM plant, and ByungUn Kim, who has built his expertise in acrylate production processes over nearly three decades.
What experiences helped these two professionals develop their expertise and philosophy over so many years in the field? We spoke with LG Chem’s two newest Meisters to hear their stories.
Hello! Could you begin by introducing your current responsibilities in the field?
I work in the VCM EH&S (Environment, Health & Safety) part at LG Chem’s Yeosu Plant. The plant produces vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), a key raw material for polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
I joined the VCM Production Team in 1994, beginning my career in process operations and equipment management. I later worked in innovation and environment, health, and safety roles, and have now spent more than 30 years at the VCM plant. Today, my responsibilities span the site, including environment, health, and safety management, guidance for innovation activities, and support for process operations.
Drawing on my experience across a wide range of field roles, I am also working to systematize the know-how I have accumulated through digital transformation (DX) and AI transformation (AX) and share it with younger colleagues. My goal is to help create a safer and more efficient workplace.
I work in Acrylate Production Team 1 (3AA P) at LG Chem’s Yeosu Plant.
Since joining the company in 1996, I have worked in acrylate production processes for nearly 30 years. LG Chem is Korea’s only manufacturer of acrylic acid and produces a range of acrylate products using its high-quality acrylic acid. Acrylic acid is the starting material used to produce acrylates.
Today, I support the stable operation of acrylate production processes and a range of improvement activities in the field, while also helping develop younger colleagues. By sharing the know-how I have gained over many years on site, I hope to contribute to building an even better workplace.
How did you feel when you first learned that you had been selected as an LG Chem Meister?
I first learned of my selection through an email from the Job Competency Team. The moment I read it, I felt truly delighted and grateful.
However, I do not see this selection as an individual achievement. It was possible because of the senior colleagues, peers, and junior colleagues with whom I have shared challenges and grown over more than 30 years at the VCM plant.
Many people also supported me throughout the selection process, which gave me an opportunity to reflect on the work I have done in the field and the strengths I have developed.
I hope this selection encourages more colleagues to pursue their aspirations in their areas of expertise and take on the challenge of becoming an LG Chem Meister. I also want to actively share the know-how I have accumulated and become a senior colleague who supports others as they take on new challenges.
To put it simply, it was an honor for my family.
In fact, I did not become a Meister on my first attempt. I applied several years ago but was not selected, and this time I hesitated, wondering whether I should stop trying.
But I have always told younger colleagues and my children, “In the end, the person who does not give up is the one who wins.” I realized that I could not be the first to give up.
I decided to try one last time, and it led to a positive outcome. My family, colleagues, and younger colleagues were as delighted as if it were their own achievement.
Looking back, it was the encouragement of those around me that inspired me to try just one more time. I see this recognition not as an award for me alone, but as one shared with the many people who have taken on challenges and grown alongside me.
What have you valued most throughout your 30 years in the field?
Above all, I value fundamentals and principles.
Early in my career, my lack of experience often made decisions difficult. Through a range of situations, I learned that even a moment of complacency—thinking, “This should be fine”—or a hasty judgment can lead to unexpected consequences.
Since then, rather than making decisions alone, I have made an effort to communicate thoroughly with colleagues and carry out my work in accordance with fundamentals and principles.
I also place great importance on trust and communication. After more than 30 years at the company, there may be generational differences between younger colleagues and me, but I try to listen and communicate with mutual respect, regardless of age or position.
Above all, I believe everyone must approach the field with humility. The more experience we gain, the more careful we must be; and the more familiar the work becomes, the more closely we must adhere to the fundamentals. This mindset has been the principle that has sustained me throughout my career.
I believe it is important to have a philosophy of your own—to define it clearly and keep moving steadily in that direction.
My motto is, “Live without regret by taking on worthwhile challenges and always giving your best.”
I did not set out from the beginning to become a National Quality Meister or an LG Chem Meister. It started with a small dream when, as a new employee, I saw the names of senior colleagues displayed at the training center and thought, “Someday, I would like to see my name there too.”
As I worked toward one goal after another, I eventually participated in the National Quality Management Convention and was able to pursue recognition as a National Quality Meister.
Ultimately, I believe what matters is not the size of the goal, but the commitment to keep moving forward. Even today, I continue to question myself so that I can improve a little from one day to the next, and I do not hesitate to take on challenges that I believe are worthwhile.
Both of you have been involved in quality innovation activities for many years.
Is there an experience that stands out?
I have been deeply interested in improvement proposals and problem-solving since my early days at the company. To me, quality circle activities are not simply about resolving a single issue; they are a process in which team members think together, communicate, and find better ways of working.
The most memorable experience was a joint quality circle involving both the Production and Maintenance Teams.
At the time, the Production Team viewed the issue primarily in terms of productivity and process operations, while the Maintenance Team focused on equipment stability and maintenance. Although we were looking at the same issue, our perspectives differed.
This led us to form a joint quality circle around a simple idea: what if we worked toward the same goal and solved the problem together? Differences in thinking created challenges at first, but through repeated discussion and joint problem-solving, we came to understand one another.
The effort earned us the Presidential Gold Award at the National Quality Management Convention. More meaningful to me than the award itself, however, was the new culture of collaboration created as the Production and Maintenance Teams solved the problem together.
Following this experience, joint quality circle activities gradually expanded across the VCM plant. I now serve as an advisor, working on projects with younger colleagues. I find great fulfillment not only in achieving results myself, but also in seeing them grow and produce strong outcomes of their own.
Quality innovation activities opened up a new world for me.
I had been interested in the National Quality Management Convention since joining the company, but the Production Team was so busy that opportunities to participate were limited. Then, in 2004, I attended the convention in Gwangju for the first time, and it was deeply inspiring.
Seeing participants from other companies and experienced professionals made me realize how narrow my perspective had been. I learned that even within manufacturing, there are many different ways to view and solve the same problem.
From then on, quality innovation became a process of personal growth. Over time, those experiences culminated in the meaningful honor of being named a National Quality Meister by the President of the Republic of Korea.
Today, just as senior colleagues once inspired and motivated me, I encourage younger colleagues to actively take on quality innovation activities. I believe these activities are not simply about delivering results, but about broadening our perspectives and growing together.
Who played the greatest role in shaping the Meisters you are today?
The person I remember most is a senior colleague I worked with when I first joined the company.
Early in my career, I had many concerns and went through a great deal of trial and error. At the time, that colleague told me, “Do not rush. Just keep doing your best as you are now, and one day your efforts will be recognized.” Those words have stayed with me ever since.
I am also grateful to the plant manager at the time, who gave me the opportunity to take on a new challenge by moving from the Production Team to the Innovation Part. That opportunity broadened my perspective beyond production to include innovation activities and the development of younger colleagues.
More recently, I have also been inspired by a longtime colleague in the field who continues to learn and take on new challenges.
Looking back, the greatest source of strength was not simply the relationship between senior and junior colleagues, but having people beside me with whom I could exchange positive influence and grow together.
I have been fortunate to have many excellent mentors around me. HyunJung Jang, who was selected as a Meister alongside me, was also two years ahead of me in high school.
Throughout my career, I learned technical expertise from some senior colleagues, while others offered guidance on navigating my career and life.
I once heard that “having even one senior colleague who genuinely cares about you can be a tremendous source of support.” I was fortunate to meet several such people, and I still stay in touch with retired colleagues and seek their advice.
The examples they set and the lessons they shared naturally became goals for me. By following the path they showed, I believe I was able to reach where I am today.
What goals would you like to achieve going forward, and what message would you like to share with your colleagues?
Through a recent DX project, I experienced firsthand how field experience and digital technologies can come together to create greater synergy.
I hope the know-how I have accumulated over more than 30 years will not remain with me alone, but become an asset that younger colleagues can learn from and put to use.
Going forward, I want to systematize process operation know-how and problem-solving methods and apply DX and AX technologies to make them practical for use in the field. My goal is for experts, engineers, and field employees to work together to deliver tangible results not only in productivity, but also in safety and environmental performance.
Even when circumstances inside and outside the company are difficult, I believe it is ultimately people who keep the workplace running. I hope we can all continue doing our best in our respective roles and move forward together.
Becoming a Meister has given me an even greater sense of responsibility.
LG Chem’s Meister and Expert Program was established to expand opportunities for field employees to have their expertise recognized and continue growing. I want to help create an environment in which more employees can aspire to become Experts and Meisters and take on that challenge.
I do not believe Experts or Meisters are extraordinary people. Rather than simply possessing more knowledge than anyone else, they are people who act with a little more passion and lead by example.
I want to remain a senior colleague who gives others the confidence to think, “Perhaps I can take on that challenge too.” As more people begin to feel that way, one by one, I believe LG Chem’s competitiveness will naturally grow stronger.
Let us build a better LG Chem, one small challenge at a time.
After more than 30 years in the field, the two Meisters now share a common goal: to pass on the skills and experience they have accumulated and help develop the next generation of field experts.
The technical expertise and experience accumulated by field experts are valuable assets that enable LG Chem to translate its Winning Tech into tangible results. LG Chem will continue to systematically develop technical talent capable of driving manufacturing innovation and provide ongoing support to secure future competitiveness.
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