Career Highlights & Challenges
Profile
Nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startup
Han Seong-sook
Han Seong-sook (한성숙 in Korean) has been nominated as the first Minister of SMEs and Startups in the Lee Jae-myung administration.
She was born on June 20, 1967, in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province.
Han graduated from Uijeongbu Girls' High School and earned her degree in English Language and Literature from Sookmyung Women’s University.
She began her career as a reporter at the computer magazine Mincom, later serving as the head of public relations at Nanum Technology. In 1997, she joined the founding team of Empas.
After moving to NHN, she played a leading role in transforming Naver into South Korea’s No. 1 internet company, serving as Head of Service Division 1 and Executive Director overseeing overall services.
In 2017, she was appointed CEO of Naver and served in the role for five years. During her tenure, she was credited with leading what many call the company’s “golden era.”
While leading Naver, Han paid special attention to initiatives supporting small business owners and SMEs, earning a reputation for her strong understanding of the startup and small business landscape.
She is scheduled to face a confirmation hearing before the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on July 15, 2025.
After being nominated, she identified “digital transformation for small business owners and SMEs” as her top policy priority.
If confirmed, Han will become the wealthiest minister in the civilian government era.
#HanSeongSook #LeeJaeMyung #MinistryofSMEsandStartups #KoreaPolitics #DigitalTransformation #Naver #SMEPolicy #SmallBusinessSupport #Empas #WomenLeadership
CEO of KT Cloud
Choi Ji-woong
Choi Ji-woong is the CEO of KT Cloud.
He is focused on advancing the integration of AI, cloud, and data center technologies, while also fostering the development of an AI ecosystem.
Born in 1974, Choi graduated from Dongguk University with a degree in computer engineering.
He began his career as a technology consultant at EA Systems and Sun Microsystems, and later worked as a Global Professional Services (GPS) consultant at Red Hat Korea.
In 2021, he co-founded Open Source Consulting and served as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In March 2024, he was appointed CEO of KT Cloud.
Choi is an open-source expert with extensive experience in technology consulting at global companies.
He aims to transform KT Cloud into a technology-driven company with global competitiveness by internalizing key technologies, securing top talent, and driving customer value innovation.
#KTCloud #ChoiJiwoong #AI #CloudComputing #DataCenter #OpenSource #TechLeadership #DigitalTransformation #KoreanIT #GlobalStrategy
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy n
Kim Jeong-kwan
Kim Jeong-kwan has been nominated as the first Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy under the Lee Jae-myung administration.
He was born in 1968 in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province.
He graduated from Gwangju Jeil High School and studied economics at Seoul National University. He earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Missouri in the United States.
After passing the 36th civil service examination, Kim began his career at the Ministry of Finance, working in departments such as the Industry Tariff Division, Foreign Exchange Fund Division, and the Comprehensive Policy Division. He later served as an administrator in the Office of the President and as a financial cooperation expert at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), establishing a reputation as a seasoned policy expert.
At the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, he held key positions including Director of the Comprehensive Policy Division and Director of the Economic Analysis Division. Following the personnel exchange program between the ministry and the Bank of Korea, he served as Director General of the Capital Markets Department and the International Economics Department at the Bank of Korea.
After returning to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, he worked as Director General for Policy Planning. In 2018, he moved to DLI (now Doosan Management Institute), then an affiliate of Doosan Group's Economic Research Institute, as Deputy Head of Strategic Support (Executive Vice President). In 2019, he was appointed President and CEO of the Doosan Management Institute.
In January 2025, he was named President of Marketing at Doosan Enerbility, a key affiliate of Doosan Group.
He played a pivotal role in securing nuclear power plant orders, a core business of Doosan Group.
He is regarded as a key talent with both expertise as an economic bureaucrat and hands-on experience in the real economy.
Seen as the right person to implement President Lee Jae-myung’s philosophy that “now is the time to focus on growth,” Kim has been nominated as the first Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy in the new administration.
#KimJeongkwan #LeeJaemyung #TradeMinistry #Doosan #DoosanEnerbility #KoreaPolitics #MinisterNominee #NuclearPower #IndustrialPolicy #EconomicBureaucrat
CEO of Ananti
Lee Man-keu
Lee Man-keu is the CEO of Ananti.
He is the eldest son of Lee Joong-myung, the former chairman and founder of the company.
Born on June 17, 1970, in Seoul, Lee graduated from Myeongji High School and earned a degree in business administration from Yonsei University.
He began his career at Daewoo, working in the financial management team. Following the dismantling of the Daewoo Group during the IMF financial crisis, he joined his father’s company, Emerson Pacific (now Ananti), earlier than expected, starting in the sales division. After serving as a director at Daemyung Development, he was appointed CEO of Emerson Pacific in 2004.
Under his leadership, Ananti has grown into a distinctive premium brand in South Korea’s luxury resort market, earning a reputation as a disruptive force in the industry.
However, the company has continued to post operating losses, and improving profitability remains a key challenge.
To address structural imbalances in the business, Lee is working to reduce dependence on revenue from membership sales and diversify the company’s portfolio.
#Ananti #LeeManKeu #luxuryresort #CEO #Korea #realestate #hospitality #businessstrategy #resortbrand #entrepreneurship
CEO of GM Korea
Hector Villarreal
Hector Villarreal is the President and CEO of GM Korea.
He is a Mexican national, and his full name is Hector Raul Villarreal Gonzalez.
He is focused on maintaining GM Korea's profitability and securing an annual production capacity of 500,000 units.
He was born on September 18, 1967, in Mexico.
He graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) and earned a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the same university.
He joined General Motors (GM) at the Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico as a production project engineer. After being promoted to an executive in planning and program management, he joined GM Korea in 2012 as Vice President of Planning and Program Management.
In 2015, he moved to GM Uzbekistan and was appointed President. He later served as GM Russia Executive Director, President of GM Southeast Asia, and Vice President of Sales, Service, and Marketing for GM Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. In August 2023, he was appointed President and CEO of GM Korea.
He significantly increased GM Korea’s revenue and operating profit.
#HectorVillarreal #GMKorea #GMMexico #AutomotiveIndustry #Leadership #KoreanAutomotive #GMUzbekistan #GMRussia #GMSoutheastAsia #IndustrialEngineering
The President of the Republic of Korea
Lee Jae-myung
Lee Jae-myung ("이재명" in Korean) is the 21st President of the Republic of Korea.
He was elected president in the early presidential election held on June 3, following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol. His top priorities are ending the internal unrest and overcoming the economic crisis.
Born on December 22, 1964, in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, he was the fifth of seven children.
He passed qualification exams for both middle and high school, then graduated from the Department of Law at Chung-Ang University.
After passing the 28th bar exam, he worked as a human rights lawyer and entered politics through his involvement in a campaign to establish Seongnam City Medical Center.
He joined the Uri Party and ran for mayor of Seongnam but lost. He later served as a senior deputy chief of staff to presidential candidate Chung Dong-young, and although he was strategically nominated to run in Bundang A District in Seongnam during the general election, he was unsuccessful.
He ran again in the 5th local elections, won the mayoral seat in Seongnam, and was re-elected for a second term.
In the 7th local elections, he ran as the Democratic Party's candidate for governor of Gyeonggi Province and won.
In the 2022 Democratic Party presidential primary, he defeated former party leader Lee Nak-yon to become the nominee but lost the presidential race to Yoon Suk-yeol, the candidate of the People Power Party.
He was later elected in a by-election for the Gyeyang B District in Incheon and became party leader.
After winning a seat in the April 2024 general elections, he was re-elected as leader of the Democratic Party.
In April 2025, he stepped down from the party leadership to run in the 21st presidential election and was elected President of the Republic of Korea on June 4 of the same year.
#LeeJaeMyung #SouthKoreaPresident #KoreanPolitics #DemocraticParty #PresidentialElection #YoonSukYeol #SeongnamMayor #GyeonggiGovernor #Election2025 #KoreanHistory
CEO of Hana Securities
Kang Seong-muk
Kang Seong-muk is Vice Chairman of Hana Financial Group and President and CEO of Hana Securities.
He oversees the group's retail, wealth management, corporate and investment banking (CIB), and capital markets businesses, focusing on enhancing expertise and expanding collaboration.
He is tasked with successfully securing the megainvestment bank (IB) license for the securities firm.
He was born on September 27, 1964, in Cheongju.
He graduated from Cheongju Shinheung High School and the Department of Sociology at Sogang University.
He began his career at Commercial Bank.
At Hana Bank, he served as Branch Manager of the Bundang Central Branch, Head of Management Support and Sales Support Groups, and Deputy President, and later became Vice President of Hana UBS Asset Management. In 2022, he was appointed CEO of Hana Alternative Asset Management.
In 2023, he was named CEO of Hana Securities and Vice Chairman of the financial holding company. At the end of 2024, he was listed as a candidate for Chairman of Hana Financial Group, solidifying his standing within the group.
He is recognized as a sales expert with comprehensive experience in retail, corporate banking, and asset management.
He is known for his modest and humble character.
#KangSeongmuk #HanaFinancialGroup #HanaSecurities #KoreanFinance #InvestmentBanking #AssetManagement #LeadershipProfile #FinancialExecutive #CIB #KoreaBusiness
CEO of GS E&C
Huh Yoon-hong
Huh Yoon-hong is the President and CEO of GS Engineering & Construction (GS E&C).
As the 4th generation leader of the GS Group, he is dedicated to restoring trust following a series of incidents and controversies, including the collapse of an underground parking lot in Incheon.
He was born on January 24, 1979, in Seoul, as the eldest son of Huh Chang-soo, the Chairman of GS Construction.
He graduated from Seoul Han Young Foreign Language High School and earned a degree in International Business from Saint Louis University in the United States. He also obtained a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington.
After joining LG-Caltex Oil (now GS Caltex), he moved to GS Construction, where he is celebrating his 19th year.
Prior to becoming CEO, he held positions as the Future Innovation Representative, Business Support Director, and Head of New Business Division.
With extensive experience in overseas construction sites, he emphasizes on-site management.
Known for his modest and amicable personality, he often shares drinks with his employees.
