Hanjin Group and Korean Air Chairman Cho Won-tae speaks during a press conference at the airline's headquarters at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korean Air

Korean Air will push for quality-driven growth by making sustainable investment for aircraft maintenance and safety, even after finalizing the airline's acquisition of Asiana Airlines, its chairman said Tuesday.

“Korean Air will rise to become the world's 11th-largest airline (by number of annual passengers) after the merger, but I would prefer to achieve quality-focused growth, rather than achieving such an external growth,” Chairman Cho Won-tae said during a press conference at its headquarters at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. Cho also chairs Hanjin Group.

Cho pledged to accomplish the vision by injecting enough capital for the safety of its converged entities, such as Air Busan and Air Seoul — two low-cost carriers (LCCs) that will be incorporated into Jin Air.

Korean Air is set to finish the deal next year, and is also scheduled to launch the converged Jin Air around the end of 2026. Jin Air is an affiliate of Korean Air.

“Korean Air will continue making investment, so we can cover aircraft maintenance for all of the converged airlines,” he said.

Cho also said the airline will “announce soon” details on the controversial merger of mileage points from Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. The flag carrier has remained in a state of dilemma on the issue, as Korean Air's points are generally valued higher in the market.

“We are aware customers are very sensitive to mileage points,” he said. “Our goal is to find a reasonable middle ground that can be understandable from the perspective of customers. We will announce details shortly.”

Korean Air's Boeing 787-10 passenger jet painted with the airline's new livery / Courtesy of Korean Air

On the same day, Korean Air unveiled its updated corporate identity. This marks the first time since 1984 that Korean Air changed its corporate logo featuring the nation's traditional Taegeuk mark. The pattern also appears at the center of Korea's national flag.

The airline modernized the signature symbol with a deep blue color to embrace contemporary aesthetics. It said the updated logo aligns with modern and global minimalist branding trends while preserving the airline's distinct identity.

“It took almost three years to fine-tune details over the change of our corporate logo,” Cho said. “When overseas designers sent us a draft version of our new corporate logo, they left out the Taegeuk logo, but we strongly opposed their ideas, as the mark represents Korea's identity.”

The new visual assets will be gradually introduced across airport facilities, lounges and in-flight environments.

Chef Kim Sea-kyeong, second from left, poses with Korean Air's new in-flight meals during its launch event at Grand Hyatt Incheon in the western port city, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korean Air

New in-flight meals

Korean Air also unveiled its upgraded in-flight meals at Grand Hyatt Incheon in the nation's western port city. The airline decided to introduce the new meals to align with its new corporate identity, which the company said will elevate premium travel experiences through refined dining and service offerings.

The flag carrier teamed up with chef Kim Sea-kyeong to curate a selection of fine dining-inspired meals.

For premium classes, an expanded selection of amuse-bouche and appetizers creates a more immersive tasting experience. The airline also added culinary sophistication and visual appeal by introducing new main courses and desserts for premium classes.

To highlight Korea's culinary heritage, the airline has also developed signature dishes, such as octopus nurungji rice, beef brisket bibimbap, abalone rice and royal hot pot.

Meal options for economy class meals have also been expanded beyond the traditional beef bibimbap to include salmon bibimbap and spicy stir-fried octopus with pork.

“We have focused on adding modern fine-dining experiences for our new in-flight meals, as our previous ones came with traditional and classic features,” Kim told reporters during its launch event.

The upgraded in-flight dining and service offerings will start from Wednesday across 10 major long-haul routes, including flights to New York, Paris and London. These enhancements will also be available on all long-haul routes by June, followed by a rollout to mid- to short-haul routes from September.