KOREA WHO

Profile

• • 

  • Vice Chairman and CEO of HD Hyundai

    Chung Ki-sun

    Chung Ki-sun is the Vice Chairman and CEO of HD Hyundai and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering. He is leading efforts to respond to the shipping industry’s green transformation by securing technologies for decarbonized vessels, while striving to maintain a technological edge over Chinese shipbuilders. In the construction equipment sector, he is aiming to elevate the company to one of the top global players. He was born on May 3, 1982, in Seoul, the eldest son among two sons and two daughters of Chung Mong-joon, Chairman of the Asan Foundation. He graduated from Daewon Foreign Language High School and studied economics at Yonsei University. He later completed an MBA program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. After joining Hyundai Heavy Industries, he went to study in the U.S. and later worked at the Korean office of Boston Consulting Group (BCG). He rejoined Hyundai Heavy Industries, where he served as head of the finance division and then as head of shipbuilding and offshore sales. In 2017, he became CEO of Hyundai Global Service. He also served as head of global shipbuilding and offshore sales at Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, and in 2022, he was appointed CEO of both HD Hyundai and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering. In 2024, he was promoted to Vice Chairman. As a third-generation owner-CEO who rose quickly through the ranks to top leadership at a young age, his management and operational style is drawing close attention. #ChungKiSun #HDHyundai #shipbuilding #decarbonization #greenshipping #constructionequipment #StanfordMBA #HyundaiHeavyIndustries #SouthKoreaBusiness #youngCEOs

    NEWS

    • • HD Hyundai Bets Big with Unified Shipbuilding Push Against China
    • • Chung Ki-sun Nears Final Hurdle in HD Hyundai Succession — More Than a Golden Spoon?
• • 

  • Executive Director of Hyundai Insurance

    Chung Kyung-sun

    Chung Kyung-sun is the Executive Director at Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance. He has been involved in supporting social enterprises and social ventures, and it is expected that he will accelerate the management succession process at Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance while strengthening its ESG activities, based on his prior experiences. Born on August 28, 1986, in Seoul, Chung graduated from Kyungbock High School and earned a degree in Business Administration from Korea University. He later completed an MBA at Columbia Business School in the United States. In 2012, leveraging his experience working at the Asan Nanum Foundation, a public welfare organization, he founded Root Impact, which supports social enterprises, nonprofit foundations, and social ventures. In 2014, he established the impact investment firm HGI. Since 2020, he has been a co-founder and managing partner at Silvan Group. In December 2023, Chung joined Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) and Executive Director. In August 2024, he also took on the role of Chief Risk Officer. As of 2024, Chung serves on the advisory board of Rockefeller Asset Management, is the Chair of the Board at Communitas America, and is also a board member at the Resilient Cities Network. Though known for his introverted personality, he is also praised for his strong drive and determination. #ChungKyungSun #HyundaiMarine #ESG #RootImpact #HGI #ColumbiaMBA #socialventure #impactinvestment #corporatesustainability #resilientcities #managementsuccession

    NEWS

    • • Hyundai CSO Chung Kyung-sun Champions Social Value, Unveils Child Support Plan
• • 

  • Chairman of Celltrion Group

    Seo Jung-jin

    Seo Jung-jin is the chairman of Celltrion Group. He is driving the transformation of Celltrion from a biosimilar company into a developer of innovative new drugs. He was born on October 23, 1957, in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. He graduated from Jemulpo High School in Incheon and earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Konkuk University, followed by a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Industrial Engineering at Konkuk University. In 1983, he began his career at Samsung Electro-Mechanics. He later moved to the Korea Productivity Center, where he worked as a consultant for Daewoo Motors, and was eventually appointed planning and finance advisor at Daewoo Motors. When the Daewoo Group collapsed during the Asian financial crisis, he lost his job and, together with about ten former Daewoo Motors colleagues, founded Nexol in 1999, the predecessor of Celltrion. In 2020, he stepped back from management after introducing a professional management system at Celltrion Group, but he returned in March 2023. He aims to grow Celltrion into a global pharmaceutical leader with KRW 10 trillion (US$ 7.2 billion) in annual sales by 2030. He is recognized for his sharp ability to identify core issues. When problems arise, he goes straight to the site and tackles them hands-on to find solutions. He enjoys his work so much that he even names overseas business trips as his favorite pastime. #Celltrion #SeoJungjin #biosimilar #biopharma #newdrugdevelopment #pharmaceutical #globalexpansion #Korea #leadership #innovation

    NEWS

    • • Celltrion Holdings’ NASDAQ Listing Roadmap: Seo Jung-jin’s Solution to Succession and Tax Challenges?
    • • Seo Jung-jin’s KRW 5 Trillion Sales Target for Celltrion Hinges on U.S. Performance of Zymfentra
• • 

  • Chairman of Dongduk Women’s University F

    Cho Won-young

    Cho Won-young is the chairman of Dongduk Women’s University Foundation, which oversees Dongduk Women’s University. He was born on October 17, 1949, in Seoul, the son of former foundation chairman Cho Yong-gak and former board member Lee Eun-joo. He graduated from Kyungbock High School and went on to study business administration at Yonsei University. He began his career at Dongduk Women’s University as a professor, later serving as director of planning and vice president, before becoming president in 1996. Since 2015, he has been serving as chairman of the Dongduk Foundation. He has also served as a member of the National Unification Advisory Council and as secretary general of the Korean Council for University Education. Following allegations of embezzlement and academic fraud, he resigned as president in 2003 and stayed away from the university for more than a decade before returning as chairman. #ChoWonYoung #DongdukUniversity #DongdukFoundation #KoreanEducation #UniversityPresident #EducationLeadership #YonseiUniversity #AcademicCareer #EmbezzlementAllegations #KoreanHigherEducation

• • 

  • President and CEO of SK Inc. and Head of

    Jang Yong-ho

    Jang Yong-ho is the President and CEO of SK Inc., and concurrently serves as the Head of SK Innovation. He has played a central role in leading the rebalancing efforts of both SK Group and SK Innovation, focusing on improving the financial structure and enhancing core competitiveness. He was born on April 19, 1964. After graduating from Simin High School in Daegu, he earned a degree in economics from Seoul National University. Jang began his career at Yukong, the predecessor of SK Innovation, and built most of his professional experience within SK Group’s holding company. After serving as Head of the PM2 Division at SK Inc., he was appointed President and CEO of SK Materials in 2018. In 2020, he became President and CEO of SK Siltron, and in 2024, he was appointed President and CEO of SK Inc. Jang played a leading role in SK Group’s acquisition of OCI Materials (now SK Materials), laying the groundwork for the group’s entry into the materials business. Following the acquisition, he was appointed CEO, contributing to the successful integration and stabilization of the company. He now also serves as the Head of SK Innovation and Chairman of the Board of SK On, working closely with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to oversee the group’s overall rebalancing strategy. #SK #JangYongHo #SKInnovation #SKInc #corporateleadership #businessstrategy #SKOn #mergersandacquisitions #materialsindustry

    NEWS

    • • SK Innovation Powers Ahead with Rebalancing Amid Market Confidence
• • 

  • Governor of the Bank of Korea

    Rhee Chang-yong

    Rhee Chang-yong is the Governor of the Bank of Korea. He is dedicating his full efforts to implementing optimal monetary policies aimed at stabilizing inflation while also helping the economy recover from sluggish growth amidst concerns over an economic downturn and an uncertain external environment. He was born on May 16, 1960, in Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do. He graduated from Inchang High School in Seoul and the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. He earned a master’s and doctorate degree in economics from Harvard University in the United States. He served as an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Rochester in the United States and as a professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. After participating in the Presidential Transition Committee during the Lee Myung-bak administration and designing the blueprint for financial policies, he held positions as Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission and Director-General of the Planning and Coordination Division of the Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit. He worked as the Chief Economist at the Asian Development Bank and later served as the Director of the Asia-Pacific Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He was appointed Governor of the Bank of Korea just before the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in 2022. He is known for his expertise in both theory and practice and for his strong international network. He is also regarded as rational in handling tasks and well-regarded for his interpersonal relationships. #RheeChangyong #BankofKorea #KoreanEconomy #MonetaryPolicy #EconomicRecovery #IMF #HarvardEconomist #G20Summit #AsianDevelopmentBank #SouthKorea

    NEWS

    • • Rhee Weighs Timing of Rate Cut as Fed Shifts, Housing Heats
    • • Bank of Korea’s Rhee Holds Rates, Shifts Focus to Extra Budget — Will Fiscal Policy Gain Steam?
• • 

  • CEO of NCSoft

    Kim Taek-jin

    Kim Taek-jin is the CEO and President of NCSoft. He achieved massive success with games based on the *Lineage* intellectual property (IP). He was born on March 14, 1967, in Seoul. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Electronic Engineering and earned a master’s degree in the same field from Seoul National University’s graduate school. He later enrolled in a doctoral program but dropped out. He worked with DreamWiz CEO Lee Chan-jin on the development of *Hangul Word Processor* and founded HanmeSoft in 1989. He later worked as a development team leader at Hyundai Electronics, where he had previously served under the alternative military service program. In 1997, he founded NCSoft with a capital of KRW 100 million (US$ 72,100) and became its CEO. Through the *Lineage* series, he swiftly adapted to the shift toward mobile gaming, generating enormous profits. However, he struggled to produce another hit title and failed to achieve significant results in developing new IPs and expanding into new business areas. In 2024, he brought in private equity investor Park Byung-moo as co-CEO and initiated aggressive restructuring measures, including voluntary retirements, to restore NCSoft’s reputation as a leading game company. He leads a modest and down-to-earth personal life but demonstrates a strong competitive spirit in business. #KimTaekjin #NCSoft #Lineage #GameIndustry #MobileGaming #NewIP #Restructuring #ElectronicEngineering #SeoulNationalUniversity #HyundaiElectronics

    NEWS

    • • Kim Taek-jin’s Bold Global Bet: Aion 2 and LLL Return
    • • Where Is the “Basic” NCSoft Wants to Return To? We Miss the Kim Taek-jin Who Once Tried to Acquire EA
• • 

  • President and CEO of SK hynix

    Kwak Noh-jung

    Kwak Noh-jung is the President and CEO of SK hynix. He has positioned SK hynix as one of the most prominent companies in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), driven by its leadership in high bandwidth memory (HBM) technology. To strengthen the company’s position in memory semiconductors, he is advancing next-generation HBM development and making large-scale investments in production facilities. He was born on November 6, 1965. He graduated from Korea University with a degree in materials engineering and earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in the same field at Korea University Graduate School. He began his career at Hyundai Electronics, the predecessor of SK hynix, and has worked at SK hynix for 29 years, establishing himself as a true “Hynix man.” He previously served as a researcher in the Process Technology Division, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Technology, and Head of Safety, Development, and Manufacturing. In 2022, when then-CEO Lee Seok-hee stepped down to become Chairman of the Board of Solidigm, the company’s U.S. subsidiary, Kwak was appointed as his successor. He is widely recognized as one of SK hynix’s top semiconductor technology experts. He also places strong emphasis on open communication with employees.

    NEWS

    • • SK Hynix CEO Vows to Lead HBM4 Amid Fierce Rivalry
    • • SK hynix Surpasses Samsung in 40 Years, Wins on Earnings and Next-Gen Memory Tech like HBM4 and SOCAMM
• • 

  • Chairman and CEO of KB Financial Group

    Yang Jong-hee

    Yang Jong-hee is the Chairman and CEO of KB Financial Group. In response to growing uncertainty in the global business environment, he is focusing on strengthening shareholder returns by maintaining stable earnings and managing the capital adequacy ratio. He was born on June 10, 1961, in Jeonju. Yang graduated from Jeonju High School and earned a degree in Korean history from Seoul National University. He later completed an MBA program at the Sogang University Graduate School of Business. He began his career at Housing & Commercial Bank, which later merged into Kookmin Bank. He served as branch manager of the Seocho Station branch of KB Kookmin Bank before holding key roles at KB Financial Group, including Secretary-General of the Board of Directors, Head of Strategic Planning, and Executive Vice President for Strategic Planning. Yang was promoted to Vice President after leading the acquisition process of LIG Insurance, now KB Insurance. In 2016, he was appointed President and CEO of KB Insurance. He later served as Vice Chairman of KB Financial Group before being named Chairman and CEO in 2023. He has been taking proactive steps to strengthen the group’s digital competitiveness, including in artificial intelligence (AI). He is widely regarded as having strong capabilities in finance and strategy. #YangJonghee #KBFinancialGroup #KookminBank #KBLife #KBBank #digitalfinance #AIleadership #Koreanfinance #financialstrategy #shareholdervalue

    NEWS

    • • Yang Leads KB Toward KRW 6 Trillion Profit, Rewriting Value Strategy Ask ChatGPT
    • • Yang Jong-hee’s Second Term at KB Financial Begins Strong with Earnings Momentum and Innovation Confidence
• • 

  • Acting Head of Samsung Electronics’ DX D

    Roh Tae-moon

    Roh Tae-moon is the President and Head of Samsung Electronics' Mobile eXperience (MX) Division. As the artificial intelligence (AI) smartphone market enters a new era, Roh is focusing on enhancing Samsung Electronics' AI-powered "Galaxy AI" to gain an edge over Apple in this competitive landscape. He is also working to expand Samsung's presence in AI smart devices by collaborating with Google and Qualcomm to launch extended reality (XR) devices equipped with AI capabilities. Born on September 3, 1968, Roh graduated from Daeryun High School in Daegu and went on to earn a degree in Electronic Engineering from Yonsei University. He also obtained a master’s and doctoral degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) Graduate School. Roh joined Samsung Electronics as a researcher, where he achieved notable success in smartphone development. This led to him becoming the company’s youngest executive director and, six years later, a rapid promotion to vice president. When he was promoted to president, Roh was recognized as the youngest president at Samsung Electronics. As the head of the Wireless Division, he oversaw Samsung’s smartphone business. Having handled wireless development roles since his initial entry into Samsung, Roh is a smartphone specialist. In product development, he places the utmost importance on consumer feedback. #RohTaeMoon #SamsungElectronics #GalaxyAI #smartphones #AI #XR #POSTECH #YonseiUniversity #consumerfeedback #technology

    NEWS

    • • Galaxy Z7 Aims for 7M Units Before Apple Enters Foldables
    • • Samsung XR ‘Infinite’ Targets Vision Pro, Roh Tae-moon Bets on Hardware & Open Ecosystem