Recently, news of business restructuring among major domestic corporations has been frequently heard. In particular, has shown remarkable changes over the past few years, focusing on improving the overall constitution of the group. Beyond simply expanding its external appearance, it is implementing a ‘preemptive rebalancing’ strategy that adjusts its business portfolio around profitability and capital efficiency. Many people will be curious about what fruits this strategy is bearing and in what direction SK Group will move forward. In fact, SK Group’s rebalancing is becoming a crucial turning point that will determine the group’s future.
The Core of Rebalancing: Focus on AI and Semiconductors
The most notable aspect of SK Group’s rebalancing strategy is its focus on the and industries. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won emphasized in his 2026 New Year’s address, “We must take on global challenges by riding the wave of the AI era.” The group is consolidating its core capabilities to ride this massive wave of change. For example, SK Group is holding a ‘New Icheon Forum’ by integrating its semi-annual strategy meeting and Icheon Forum, a knowledge management platform. The core theme of this forum is ‘AI acceleration.’ SK Telecom’s target stock price was also raised due to the increased value of its stake in AI company ‘Anthropic’ and the possibility of achieving 1 trillion won in data center sales. Its affiliate, SK Square, achieved record-high performance in the first quarter, driven by equity method gains from SK Hynix and improved profitability of its portfolio companies, establishing itself as the central axis of the group’s overall corporate value. Ultimately, AI and semiconductors are the two important pillars that will drive SK Group’s future growth.
Divestment of Non-Core Assets and Strengthening Financial Soundness
SK Group’s rebalancing focused on securing financial soundness through aggressive divestment of non-core assets. Since Choi Chang-won’s inauguration as Chairman of the SK SUPEX Council in December 2023, intensive asset efficiency efforts have been carried out across the group. A representative example is the sale of its stake in Vietnamese pharmaceutical company Imexpharm, which generated approximately double the investment return. Through the rebalancing pursued for three years starting in 2024, SK Group carried out 13 trillion won in asset efficiency, reducing the number of affiliates from 219 in 2023 to 151 in 2025. Thanks to these efforts, SK Inc.’s consolidated revenue in the first quarter of 2026 increased by 19% year-on-year, and operating profit surged by an astonishing 760%. Net borrowings decreased by approximately 21%, and the debt-to-equity ratio also fell from 172.8% to 135.7%. This means the group achieved both financial stability and improved profitability. The market evaluates these changes not as simple asset sales but as a successful reorganization of the growth portfolio.
Challenges for Securing Future Growth Engines
Of course, not all business segments are sailing smoothly. In particular, the energy sector, which SK Group presented as a future growth engine, especially the battery business, faced external variables such as a slowdown in electric vehicle demand. Battery affiliates such as SK On are focusing on cost reduction, and SK Nexilis and SK IE Technology have implemented voluntary resignations and unpaid leave. However, SK On is attempting to improve its constitution by shifting its growth重心 to the energy storage system (ESS) sector. The expansion of on-site power generation demand for AI data centers in the U.S. has led to ESS order opportunities, emerging as a key growth axis to alleviate SK On’s financial burden. Ultimately, strategic shifts to turn crises into opportunities are continuing. In the 2026 executive appointments, the group is accelerating change by appointing field-oriented leaders who can enhance problem-solving capabilities and customer trust.
SK Group’s preemptive rebalancing is more than just a business structure reorganization; it is a fundamental constitutional improvement to lead the AI era. The strategy of divesting non-core businesses and focusing on core areas such as AI and semiconductors is ultimately laying a solid foundation for the group’s sustainable growth. We look forward to seeing what new ‘big move’ SK Group will show in the future.