KoreaWho - Biographical and news service about individuals who have a significant impact on the Korean economy

- Chairman and CEO of Hanmi Semiconductor
  Kwak Dong-shin
  
  Kwak Dong-shin is Chairman and CEO of Hanmi Semiconductor. He is focusing on preemptive investment and diversifying the product lineup to develop wide TC bonders and hybrid bonders for next-generation HBM. He was born in Seoul on December 17, 1974, as the youngest of founder Kwak No-kwon, Chairman of Hanmi Semiconductor’s four sons and one daughter. After joining Hanmi Semiconductor and serving in positions including head of the planning office, he became co-CEO of Hanmi Semiconductor alongside his father, Chairman Kwak No-kwon. He was appointed CEO of Hanmi Motors, an imported car sales corporation established by Hanmi Semiconductor, and also served as CEO of Shinho Motors, an imported car dealership affiliated with Hanmi Semiconductor, and Hanmi Networks, an importer and seller of cosmetics. He is active and highly ambitious. When he entered the automobile business, he worked as a salesperson for one year and experienced the industry from the ground up. He is regarded as having secured Hanmi Semiconductor’s growth engine through aggressive investment. #KwakDong-shin #HanmiSemiconductor #HBM #WideTCBonder #HybridBonder #SemiconductorEquipment #ChipPackaging #SemiconductorStrategy #KwakNo-kwon #KoreanBusiness
- CEO of Shinhan Life Insurance
  Chun Sang-yung
  
  Cheon Sang-young is the CEO of Shinhan Life Insurance. He is placing weight on solid growth and balanced development. He was born on July 25, 1969. He graduated from Gyeongil High School in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, and from the Department of Business Administration at Yonsei University. He joined Shinhan Bank and served as retail branch manager at the Gangnam Station Financial Center and head of the Daerim Central Branch, among other posts. After serving as head of the Global Business Division at Shinhan Card, he moved to Shinhan Financial Group and went through positions including head of Management Control Team 2, head of the Management Control Team, and Executive Vice President of the Group Finance Division. In January 2026, he was appointed CEO of Shinhan Life. As a former holding company CFO, he is considered the right person to strengthen synergy between Shinhan Life, a key part of the group’s non-banking business, and the group itself because of his strong understanding of group strategy. Note: In the original text, “천상영Chun Sang-yung” appears to have a spacing or notation issue. Based on the Korean name 천상영, the more standard romanization would be “Cheon Sang-young,” but I translated the name in line with the Korean original. #ShinhanLife #CheonSangyoung #ShinhanFinancialGroup #CEO #insurance #nonbanking #groupstrategy #CFO #financialservices #leadership
- CEO of Kiwoom Securities
  Eom Ju-sung
  
  Eom Ju-sung is the CEO of Kiwoom Securities. He secured a license for a comprehensive investment bank and successfully completed the launch of its first issued notes. He plans to further increase the scale of issued notes and use them for venture capital and corporate finance investment. He was born in Seoul on July 21, 1968. He graduated from Seoul Siheung High School and Yonsei University, where he majored in applied statistics. He received a master's degree in investment management from the KDI School of Public Policy and Management. He began his career at Daewoo Securities. After joining Kiwoom Securities, he served as head of the Investment Management Division and then worked as head of the Strategic Planning Division. In 2024, he was appointed CEO and began a three-year term. He is an expert in the proprietary investment field and is known for his sharp understanding of market trends and numbers. #KiwoomSecurities #EomJu-sung #brokerage #investmentbanking #issuednotes #venturecapital #corporatefinance #proprietaryinvestment #Koreanfinance #CEO Note: In the original text, "엄주성Eom Ju-sung" appears to have a spacing error, as the Korean and English names are 붙어 written together without a space.
  NEWS
  - • Kiwoom Securities Eyes ‘1 Trillion Club’ as Eom Ju-sung Defends No.1 Spot
  - • Kiwoom Securities' Savior Eom Ju-sung Faces Parliamentary Audit, Paving the Way for Megainvestment Bank
- Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance and Economy
  Koo Yun-cheol
  
  Koo Yun-cheol is Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance and Economy in the Lee Jae-myung government. He is focused on reviving the “3% growth engine,” one of the state goals of the Lee Jae-myung government. He was born in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1965. He graduated from Daegu Yeongsin High School and the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. He earned master’s degrees in public administration and public policy from the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University and the University of Wisconsin graduate school, respectively, and received a doctorate in business administration with a major in international commerce from the Graduate School of Chung-Ang University. After passing the 32nd Higher Civil Service Examination, he worked mainly at the Budget Office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. In the Roh Moo-hyun government, he served as Secretary for the Personnel System at the presidential office and then as Head of the State Affairs Situation Room. After returning to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, he oversaw the Moon Jae-in government’s budget planning while serving as head of the Budget Office and Second Vice Minister. After the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol government, he left public office and served as Co-chair of the North Gyeongsang Investment Attraction Special Committee and as a specially appointed professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. In July 2025, he was appointed as the first economic chief of the Lee Jae-myung government. After taking office, he was evaluated as having stably led the management of consumer prices and the drafting of the new government’s first budget. The original text contains a spacing error in “구윤철Koo Yun-cheol은,” where a space is missing between the Korean name and the English name. Also, “재정경제부 장관” may reduce clarity because the current government ministry name is usually rendered differently in English, so the official title may need to be checked against the intended Korean designation. #KooYuncheol #LeeJaeMyung #SouthKorea #DeputyPrimeMinister #EconomyMinister #MinistryOfEconomyAndFinance #BudgetPolicy #ConsumerPrices #EconomicGrowth #KoreanPolitics
- CEO of HMM
  Choi Won-hyok
  
  Choi Won-hyok is the CEO of HMM. He is preparing large-scale investments to respond to the eco-friendly transition in the global shipping industry and strengthen the competitiveness of the shipping business. In his second year in office, he has been given the task of overcoming a double burden: external instability caused by the Middle East situation and internal conflict surrounding the relocation to Busan. He was born in Seoul on May 2, 1960. After graduating from Hansung High School, he majored in applied statistics at Sungkyunkwan University. He began his career at 3M Korea, then worked at the French cosmetics company L'Oréal and the logistics company CJ Logistics, before being recruited to Pantos Logistics, now LX Pantos, as executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO). He was appointed CEO in 2015 and led Pantos Logistics until 2023, and was appointed CEO of HMM in March 2025. He has spent about 40 years in the global logistics industry. He was recognized for his management capabilities and organizational leadership after leading the company for eight years at LX Pantos and expanding its global logistics business. He served as vice chairman of the Korea Employers Federation. He is taciturn. #HMM #ChoiWonhyok #shipping #logistics #maritime #ecofriendlyshipping #Busanrelocation #MiddleEastcrisis #LXPantos #KoreaEmployersFederation
- CEO of Samsung Asset Management
  Kim Uh-seog
  
  Kim Woo-seok is the CEO of Samsung Asset Management. He is working to expand the firm's global management infrastructure and strengthen its competitiveness in the pension sector in order to maintain its leading position in South Korea's exchange-traded fund (ETF) market. He was born on November 13, 1969, in Donghae, Gangwon. He graduated from Gangneung High School and the Department of Applied Statistics at Yonsei University. He completed an MBA course at Korea University Graduate School of Business. He joined Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and worked as head of the Planning Team, head of the Actuarial RM Team and chief risk officer, and head of the Long-term Insurance Compensation Team, before moving to Samsung Life Insurance, where he served as executive vice president of the Financial Competitiveness Enhancement TF and head of the Asset Management Division. In 2024, he was appointed CEO of Samsung Asset Management. He is meticulous in handling his work and is active in communicating with employees. #SamsungAssetManagement #KimWooseok #ETF #pension #assetmanagement #SamsungLifeInsurance #SamsungFireMarineInsurance #KoreaUniversity #YonseiUniversity #finance
- Vice Chair in Charge of Finished Vehicles at Hyundai Motor Company
  Chang Jae-hoon
  
  Chang Jae-hoon is Vice Chair in charge of finished vehicles at Hyundai Motor Company. He is focusing on overseeing software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and robotics, which Hyundai Motor Group has identified as future businesses, and on building a foundation for global growth. He was born on August 3, 1964. He graduated from Seoul High School and the Department of Sociology at Korea University, and completed an MBA course at Boston University School of Management in the United States. He joined Hyundai Motor Group as head of Hyundai Glovis' Global Business Office. He then moved to Hyundai Motor, where he served as head of the Production Development Planning Business Division, head of Customer Value and concurrently head of the Customer Channel Service Business Division, and head of the HR Business Division. As Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun stepped to the forefront of Hyundai Motor's management, he assisted him as Executive Vice President and head of the Management Support Division. He expanded his role while serving concurrently as head of the Domestic Business Division and head of the Genesis Business Division, and was later promoted to president. In 2024, he was given the newly created post of vice chair in charge of finished vehicles and is overseeing the overall business. By emphasizing open communication, he is making Hyundai Motor's conservative organizational culture more flexible. #ChangJaehoon #HyundaiMotor #HyundaiMotorGroup #SDV #SoftwareDefinedVehicle #Robotics #Genesis #ChungEuisun #GlobalGrowth #AutomotiveLeadership
  NEWS
  - • Chung Eui-sun Reinstates Vice Chairman Role After 1,100 Days—Why Did He Choose Chang Jae-hoon?
  - • Hyundai Motor Group Appoints Foreign CEO for the First Time, Promotes Chang Jae-hoon to Vice Chairman
- Vice Chairman and CEO of SeAH Steel
  Lee Howard
  
  Lee Hwi-ryeong (Lee Howard) is Vice Chairman and CEO of SeAH Steel. He has been working to build a stable profit base, and more recently has led the expansion into new markets, including participation in the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. He was born on April 25, 1962, in the United States to Lee Byung-joon, Chairman of SeAH Steel America, and Lee Bok-hyung, the eldest daughter of SeAH Group founder and Honorary Chairman Lee Jong-deok. He graduated from Palos Verdes High School and majored in genetic engineering at UCLA. In 1985, he joined Busan Pipe America, SeAH Steel’s U.S. local subsidiary, as a general manager. He served as a director in charge of planning at SeAH Steel, executive vice president in charge of exports, head of the sales division and executive in charge of STS sales, and head of the management planning headquarters and sales headquarters. In January 2007, he was appointed CEO of SeAH Steel. In 2018, he was promoted to vice chairman. He is a trade expert in the steel industry within SeAH Steel. He is a third-generation owner with U.S. citizenship. SeAH Group Chairmen Lee Woon-hyung and Lee Soon-hyung are his maternal uncles, and SeAH Holdings Vice President Lee Tae-sung and SeAH Steel Vice President Lee Ju-sung are his cousins. #SeAHSteel #LeeHwiryeong #LeeHoward #steelindustry #LNGproject #AlaskaLNG #SeAHGroup #steeltrade #Koreabusiness #corporateprofile
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Hanon Systems
  Lee Soo-il
  
  Lee Soo-il is Vice Chairman and CEO of Hanon Systems. He also serves as an advisor to Hankook Tire & Technology. He is shifting the company’s focus from a traditional air-conditioning business to thermal management solutions for eco-friendly vehicles. He was born on April 26, 1962. He graduated from Daegu Keisung High School and the Department of International Trade at Kyungpook National University. He completed an MBA course at the Michigan State University Graduate School of Business in the United States. He joined Hankook Tire through its open recruitment program and served as Executive Vice President and head of the Americas regional headquarters, and as Senior Vice President and head of the China regional headquarters. After serving as Senior Vice President and head of the Marketing Division, head of the Business Operations Division, and head of the Distribution Business Division, he was appointed President and CEO of Hankook Tire in 2018. He was promoted to Vice Chairman and CEO of Hankook Tire & Technology. After the acquisition of Hanon Systems, he headed the post-merger integration (PMI) task force, and in January 2025 he was appointed Vice Chairman and CEO of Hanon Systems. He is a “trusted man” who has earned the deep confidence of Chairman Cho Hyun-bum while serving in key positions at Hankook Tire for more than 40 years. He is aiming to build the world’s No. 1 air-conditioning systems company. Restoring financial soundness is the top priority. #LeeSoo-il #HanonSystems #HankookTire #ChoHyun-bum #thermalmanagement #ecofriendlyvehicles #automotiveparts #PMI #financialhealth #airconditioningsystems
- CEO of Duckyang Energen
  Kim Ki-chul
  
  Kim Ki-chul is the CEO of Duckyang Energen. He aims to make the company a global hydrogen specialist. He was born on June 29, 1967. He graduated from Ulsan Hakseong High School and earned a degree from the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology at Seoul National University. He joined CJ. He left after four years and entered Duckyang in 1994 as CEO of Duckyang Chemical. He was broadly responsible for practical work at Duckyang, including sales, planning, human resources, and new business, and while serving in positions such as executive director of the planning office, he led the company’s major facility construction and operations. In 2020, he became CEO of Duckyang Energen, which was established through a spin-off from Duckyang. He is also serving as co-CEO of the joint venture K&D Energen and is leading the Shaheen Project to supply S-Oil. He has a strong understanding of the hydrogen business. He is the son-in-law of Lee Deok-woo, honorary chairman of Duckyang and the company’s founder. #KimKi-chul #DuckyangEnergen #Duckyang #hydrogen #ShaheenProject #SOil #KDEnergen #LeeDeok-woo #Koreanbusiness #energyleadership

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