Vatech Philosophy
On our Humanistic Journey?
Vatech Strives to Make The World a Better Place
1. “Humanism: The Calling”
The Chinese philosopher Confucius considered ‘仁’ and ‘孝’ to be the greatest human virtues. ‘仁’ refers to loving others and fulfilling one’s moral responsibilities, and ‘孝’ refers to the ethical concept of honoring parents and community solidarity as the foundation of the family and society.’ This philosophy of Confucius is deeply rooted in the founding and leadership of Vatech’s Chief Executive Officer, Changjun Ro.
His management philosophy is epitomized by the Confucius quote ‘以人爲本’, which means that people are the foundation of everything. In the early 2000s, Korea lacked digital X-ray equipment, forcing dentists to rely on inconvenient analogue methods. Ro, a graduate of Oriental History, founded Vatech with a mission to contribute to the health of humanity. He vowed to build a company that puts people first, where employees are happy, as he watched the families fall apart after losing their jobs to the IMF.
Like the spirit of Confucius, a deep concern and love for people became the cornerstone of Vatech. In the early days of the company, the reality faced by Vatech was harsh: despite the lack of funding, he pledged everything he had to secure the livelihoods of his employees to raise funds for operations – an act that embodied Confucius’ teaching that ’a man who is in trouble should think of others first.’
The process of developing the technology wasn’t easy either. Faced with a lack of research infrastructure and skepticism from the outside world, he learned the technology by importing parts from overseas and assembling them himself. When his Finnish technology partner suddenly went bankrupt, he personally persuaded the researcher to bring him back to Korea to continue development. In the spirit of Confucius’ “Isn’t it good to learn and master” (學而時習之不亦說乎), constant learning and practice became the strength to overcome the crisis.
2. “Humanism: The Struggle”
Jean-Paul Sartre once said, ‘Existence precedes essence.’ Sartre’s humanist-based existentialism is at the heart of Vatech’s growth through crises and trials. Ro saw Vatech’s ‘existence’ as sustainable management, as he believed that only a company with a guaranteed business permanence could provide stable jobs for its employees.
Ro wanted Vatech’s existence to provide mental and material well-being for its employees. The question was, what essence would sustain its existence? The answer he found was ‘No. 1 in the world through technological innovation.’ For him, ‘No. 1 in the world’ was more than just a number or an achievement. It was a task and a process that had to be fulfilled in order to achieve Vatech’s ‘existence,’ or the happiness of its employees.
Vatech defined itself through constant choices and actions. His choice to become the world’s No. 1 dental imaging company was accompanied by his efforts to bring a cot to the company and sleep with his employees throughout the development period. The leader’s example fueled the enthusiasm of all employees, resulting in the development of Korea’s first digital panoramic PaX-300.
However, the joy was short-lived, as Vatech was ignored by a well-known competitor at its first IDS. Instead of blaming the situation, Chairman Ro reinforced his goal to become the best in the world, and in 2005, he challenged himself to innovate technology, using Dental CT as the starting point. His passion for contributing to human health was so strong that he even collected the bones of the pork his employees ate for breakfast and used them in experiments. This challenge led to the creation of Implagraphy, the world’s first 3-in-1 (Pano, CT, Ceph) machine, which took the IDS 2007 by storm when it returned. His path is in line with Sartre’s dictum that ‘man creates himself through the choices he makes’.
By choosing his own path and facing many difficulties and suffering along the way, Ro has achieved his goal of becoming the number one global company and contributing to human health.
3. “Humanism: The Evolution”
The way Chairman Ro has led technological innovation is similar to Erich Fromm’s concept of ‘love’. Erich Fromm believed that the essence of humanity is fulfilled through productive love and creative activity. Affection and love for humanity. This is the reason and the driving force behind Vatech’s technological innovation.
Erich Fromm defined love as not just an emotion, but an ‘active practice of helping others grow’. Vatech’s leadership in the low-dose paradigm was not just about technological advancements, but about ‘people-centred innovation’ that put patients’ health first.
Ro’s ‘love’ for the people of Vatech naturally extended to his employees. Fromm pointed out the problem of dehumanizing organizational culture in the modern world, which alienates people. To reform the organizational culture and promote collaboration, Ro personally studied work collaboration tools, and in 2012, he introduced a system called OASIS to his workplace, which enabled collaboration and increased transparency of work, resulting in maximum creativity across the organization, creating a virtuous cycle of creative innovation.
During the pandemic, the global dental industry came to a standstill, and workers’ livelihoods were immediately threatened. However, in the midst of the crisis, Chairman Ro expanded the sales service force to strengthen customer relationships. He held one-on-one consultations with customers to educate them and improve their inconveniences, and held webinars to help educate dentists to take a leap forward. He also introduced an instalment system to share the pain with customers. In this way, Vatech increased contact with customers and comforted them during the difficult times, and his efforts were recognized with 62% sales growth after the pandemic (22 sales performance compared to 20).
Chairman Ro’s management philosophy of sharing the pain of others was the realization of ‘Humanistic Solidarity’.
4. “Humanism: The Ascent”
Chairman Changjun Ro explores existential anxiety as he ponders Vatech’s sustainability. We often believe that our current achievements come from our own strength, but this is an illusion of an independent self, which leads to existential anxiety. Paradoxically, however, many people lose themselves in the relationships with others that they form to relieve their existential anxiety. In response, Ro explored how to maintain independence while building healthy relationships with others. The Ascent stage moves in both directions.
The path to healthy human relationships
Martin Buber once said, ‘I exist through others.’ Our existence is defined and changed by our relationships with others. Based on this philosophy of relationships, he sought to create a culture where employees recognize each other as ‘you’ through shared experiences and solidarity, both among themselves and within the wider community.
Buber divided relationships into Ich-Es (‘I-That’) and Ich-Du (‘I-You’). The former are instrumental relationships, the latter are encounters based on a deep connection. To build a true ‘I-Thou’ relationship, Vatech introduced the concept of ‘Compraxis’, an attempt to transform volunteering from a one-time experience into a process of solidarity that lasts for years. It’s not just an act of kindness; it’s about creating a ‘path’ to walk together.
The path to independence
1. Shikoku Pilgrimage
As we live our lives as parents, children, employees, and friends, we often lose ourselves in our relationships. In response, Chairman Ro designed the ‘Shikoku Pilgrimage’ program to offer a journey to regain our ‘me’ and independence. By walking the pilgrimage, we leave behind the ‘me’ of our homes and companies and come face-to-face with our true selves. Walking the path is not just a journey; it’s a process of reflection, a journey of letting go and confronting your own existence. Through this experience, Ro wanted to help employees maintain their independence in relationships.
2. The Library
Independence in various human relationships is strengthened through the process of self-exploration, deep contemplation, and learning. Chairman Ro believed that knowledge and reflection are the most powerful tools for human growth. With this belief in mind, he established an in-house library, inspired by the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Alexander the Great was a student of Aristotle and placed a high value on learning and knowledge. He spread Hellenistic culture in Egypt and promoted the exchange of learning and culture. In the spirit of Alexander the Great, the Library of Alexandria was founded. The Library of Alexandria was not just a place to read, but a place to find your way in life. Vatech’s library carries on these values, serving as a philosophical space for self-reflection, contemplation, and exploration, where our employees can organize their thoughts and ask deeper questions.
Along with the Shikoku pilgrimage, Vatech’s library is a path that Chairman Ro has taken to answer the philosophical question of the meaning of human existence.
As the saying goes, ‘Be good to all the people you meet in life,’
Vatech aims to be good to all those who join us on our humanistic journey.
The path we are pioneering is not just a corporate growth, but a journey to realize human values.
“Vatech strives to make the world a better place.”
Epilogue: The path found in silence
My days are filled with constant choices and decisions. Amidst a rapidly changing marketplace, fierce competition, and endless responsibilities, a question has emerged.
‘What drives me?’
Meditation is a journey to find the answer. Every day, at dawn, in a space with no computer, no phone, I let it all go. Inhale and exhale. And clear consciousness…
I practice 108 times, letting go of attachments and focusing on essence. Every time my forehead touches the floor, every time I let go of one desire, every time I rise, I make a new commitment. In these brief moments of meditation and practice, I look inside myself, where there are people, not numbers, and meaning, not sales.
Our journey as human beings is not about accumulating more, it’s about shedding what we don’t need. My life, the direction of the company, the reason for innovation… In the end, it’s simple.‘
‘以人爲本, that is, for the sake of people.
’This single sentence from my meditation is the reason for my existence and the direction of Vatech’s technological innovation.
