Name: Park Wan-su
Title: President and CEO
Company, city: Incheon International Airport Corp.; Incheon, South Korea
Number of employees: 1,100
Recent project: We selected new operators for Incheon Airport duty-free: Hotel Lotte, Hotel Shilla and Shinsegae Group.
First job: After high school, I worked for an electronics manufacturer in the Masan Free Trade Zone.
Little-known fact about you: When I was mayor of Changwon City, I served as the first chairman of the EcoMobility Alliance.
Your Business
Essential business philosophy: I practice “BEST” leadership: returning to Basics and Ethics while drawing Support and fostering Teamwork among members.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: We maintain a competitive edge through transparent management that emphasizes communication and cooperation. By engaging internal and external stakeholders in real time, sharing ideas and adapting to trends, we reduce the risk of wrongful practices and improve responsiveness.
Yardstick of success: Our goal is to remain the world’s best airport. Incheon Airport has been recognized as Best Airport in the World for 10 consecutive years by the Airports Council International Airport Service Quality survey and by Global Traveler’s GT Tested Reader Survey, and has been listed in GT’s Hall of Fame for outstanding performance over the past decade.
Park Wan-su as a Traveler
What is the most important item you take when traveling? I always bring a book of prose or essays, often one related to my destination.
How do you spend your time on board? I read, listen to music or watch films, using the time to reflect and relax.
What is your favorite restaurant in the world? I enjoy the regional dishes of Pyeongchang—buckwheat noodles, crêpes and a local jelly—foods that are healthy, flavorful and well suited to vegetarians.
What is your favorite destination in the world? I prefer places with impressive natural scenery, such as the Canadian Rockies. For cities, I particularly like Rio de Janeiro and Budapest.
About Incheon International Airport Corp.
What unique features help Incheon Airport continue to win awards?
Close collaboration and effective communication among roughly 40,000 staff from 900 organizations working at Incheon Airport are central to our success. Everyone shares a commitment to delivering the world’s best service while upholding safety, speed and convenience. Sharing information and operational know-how through collaboration directly improves service. We also position Incheon as a “culture-port,” not just a transport hub but a place for culture and art. K-pop, classical and traditional Korean music performances are held across the airport daily, and 12 cultural centers present programs that introduce Korean heritage to travelers.
Tell us about the dining options at Incheon Airport.
We continually refresh food and beverage offerings and retail outlets to match passenger expectations. The airport features popular local restaurants alongside internationally known brands, covering Korean, Chinese, other Asian and Western cuisines, plus expanded fast-food options and selections for vegetarians and those seeking Halal choices. Visitors seeking a traditional Korean experience can enjoy bulgogi, galbi and bibimbap. New pop-up concepts and the Incheon Delicacy stores add variety and highlight regional specialties.
What is in store for the airport?
After exceeding an annual capacity of 45 million passengers, we are expanding and upgrading facilities and increasing operational efficiency to preserve top-quality service. Measures include extending check-in and security hours, encouraging self-service options such as self bag drop, self check-in, web check-in and automated immigration, and reducing congestion through improved wayfinding and optimized staffing. We are also growing aviation demand and expanding our route network by attracting major carriers and low-cost airlines to balance short- and long-haul services. Our targets include serving 50 million passengers and 10 million transit passengers by 2017. The third-phase expansion, which includes a second passenger terminal and additional facilities, is planned to be operational by 2017 and will raise capacity to 62 million passengers. This project will integrate advanced technology, natural elements and cultural features to make Incheon Airport even more attractive.