On July 2, the annual second-half assembly was hosted in LOUNGE The Hanil, located on the eighteenth floor of the corporate headquarters building. During his opening address, company president Gwak Eui-yeong predicted that the profitability will suffer due to the increasing competition for bids caused by slowing housing construction market, as well as increasing prices of bituminous coal, aggregates, and other materials, in addition to the carbon emissions tax. The president asked all organizations in the company to find reasonable and efficient solutions in their tasks to improve the overall competitiveness of the company. In addition, the president commented on the transition to the holding company system, calling on the employees to do their “part with a sense of responsibility, so that the new management system will be stabilized as soon as possible and Hanil Cement will maximize its competitiveness as an affiliate company.”