TYM Chairman Kim Hee-yong delivers a special lecture at Cheongnam National University on designing the future of Korean agriculture

Chairman Kim Hee-yong has been leading TYM for 35 years since he took office as CEO of Dongyang C&T Corporation in 1987. Chairman Kim, who majored in industrial design at Indiana University in the U.S., introduced a bold, streamlined design by sketching the product himself and breaking away from the tractor design that had been standardized in the form of a box.

Through continuous research and development, the company has raised quality and significantly expanded sales to domestic and global markets. The recently released T130 tractor is still leading the agricultural machinery industry, with Chairman Kim directly involved in the design project.

Through this special lecture, TYM Chairman Kim Hee-yong explained the importance of agricultural machinery by looking back on the development process of Korean agriculture from the 1970s to the present. Recalling when the Agricultural Machinery Research Institute was established for the first time in the domestic industry, he stressed that the introduction of agricultural machinery improved per capita work productivity and made agricultural work lighter.

"I think it is the mission of agricultural machinery manufacturers to provide practical help to farmers.” Chairman Kim adds, "I feel deeply rewarded providing agricultural machinery to ease farmers' losses at a time when the number of farmers in Korea is rapidly decreasing and rural aging."

Chairman Kim said, "We need to introduce representative fourth industrial revolution technologies, such as autonomous driving and smart farms in agriculture, but commercialization will take a long time and effort," and added, "To move forward with agriculture in the future, we need active government support.”

Chairman Kim also stressed that sustainable agriculture should be pursued as one of the roles of agricultural machinery manufacturers. Chairman Kim explained that TYM declared ESG management, for the first time in the industry, in February this year and is actively engaged in environmental, social and governance sectors. “We expect a virtuous cycle in which TYM's various ESG management activities deliver and reproduce beneficial values to society,” he said.

At the end of the lecture, Chairman Kim Hee-yong emphasized to students, "To become a global leader leading the future, we need to look broadly and closely.” He adds, "It is important to set dreams and visions through extensive reading such as newspapers and books. TYM will also do its best to achieve consumer satisfaction, the top priority pursued by the company," he vowed.

TYM also signed an MOU with Cheongnam National University to promote mutual exchanges. TYM Chairman Kim Hee-yong and President Kim Do-hoon, Cheongnam National University President Lee Jin-sook, Cheongnam National University Vice President Lee Joon-woo, Research Director Jung Jong-yul, and Industrial Cooperation Foundation Vice President Kim Yong-joo attended the signing ceremony.

This agreement aims to promote the development of the agriculture and agricultural machinery industries and support future farmers by revitalizing industry-academic cooperation between TYM and Cheongnam National University and hiring excellent talent. Furthermore, the two organizations will not only experience agriculture on paper, but will also cooperate to support promising farmers who will lead future agriculture by providing opportunities to experience the benefits of TYM's 70-year know-how and learn agriculture directly from experts.