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

- Chairman and CEO of Ottogi
  Ham Young-joon
  
  Ham Young-joon is the CEO and chairman of Ottogi. He is interested in expanding overseas sales. In Korea, he is trying to diversify revenue by broadening the company’s product lineup into ready-to-eat meals, sauces, and health foods. He was born in Seoul on March 2, 1959, as the eldest son of Ham Tae-ho, honorary chairman of Ottogi. After graduating from Osan High School in Seoul and Hanyang University’s Department of Business Administration, he completed an MBA program at the University of Southern California’s business school. He joined Ottogi and was appointed CEO and vice president in 1999. After serving as CEO and president, he became CEO and chairman in 2010. While focusing on diversifying Ottogi’s business into tea and health foods, he kept ramen at the center. He earned nicknames such as “model student” and “CEO of upright living.” As the company kept the hiring of non-regular workers to a minimum, it also gained an image as a “good company.” He went through difficulties as the issue of unfairly funneling work to affiliates came into focus. #HamYoungjoon #Ottogi #CEO #KoreanFood #Ramen #ReadyToEatMeals #SauceBusiness #HealthFoods #OverseasSales #CorporateGovernance
  NEWS
  - • Falling Behind Overseas, Ottogi’s Ham Young-joon Bets on U.S. Production Plant for a Turnaround
  - • Ottogi Heir Ham Yeon-ji Starts Management, Joins US Office
- CEO of IM Biologics
  Ha Gyong-sik
  
  Ha Gyong-sik is the CEO of IM Biologics. He is focusing on advancing global clinical trials for the core pipeline ‘IMB-101’ while accelerating the expansion of the company’s business into the immuno-oncology field beyond autoimmune diseases. He was born in May 1973. He graduated from the Department of Genetic Engineering at Korea University and earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Biotechnology from Korea University Graduate School. He joined CJ CheilJedang, where he worked as a senior researcher at the research institute and in the oncology clinical team and marketing team. After the pharmaceutical business was spun off, he worked at CJ Healthcare (now HK inno.N) as head of the Protein Group at the Bio Research Center and as head of the Bio Business Development Team. After CJ Healthcare was acquired by Kolmar Korea and renamed HK inno.N, he served as head of the Bio Research Center. In 2020, he founded IM Biologics. He is an expert in antibody drug development with more than 20 years of experience. He has proven business achievements through large-scale technology transfer. #IMBiologics #HaGyong-sik #biotechCEO #antibodydrugs #immunotherapy #clinicaltrials #biotechnology #drugdevelopment #HKinnoN #CJHealthcare
- President of Seoul Women’s University
  Lee Yoon-sun
  
  Lee Yoon-sun is the president of Seoul Women’s University. She was born in 1969. She graduated from Seoul Women’s University with a degree in educational psychology. She earned a master’s degree in education from the graduate school of Seoul Women’s University and a doctorate in education from the graduate school of the University of Washington in the United States. She worked as an assessment director at the Washington State Department of Education in the United States. She joined Seoul Women’s University as a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and served as head of international cooperation, director of the Bahrom Character Education Research Institute, dean of student affairs, secretary-general, and dean of planning. She worked as head of the Data Innovation Office. In 2025, she was appointed president of Seoul Women’s University. She is an expert in educational assessment. She is focusing on education that emphasizes human responsibility and roles within the community, based on AI that helps human growth. #LeeYoonsun #SeoulWomensUniversity #universitypresident #educationalpsychology #educationalassessment #AIeducation #humanresponsibility #communityeducation #highereducation #womenuniversity
- CEO and President of SK bioscience
  Ahn Jae-yong
  
  Ahn Jae-yong is the CEO and president of SK bioscience. He is focusing his capabilities on securing new growth engines as sales related to COVID-19 vaccines decline. To prepare for the “next pandemic,” he is seeking to enter new fields such as messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines and cell and gene therapies. He was born on November 14, 1967, in Seoul. He graduated from Yeouido High School in Seoul and Yonsei University with a degree in economics, and completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in the United States. He worked at Korea Export Insurance Corporation before moving to SK Chemicals. At SK Chemicals, he served as head of the strategy team and head of the strategic planning office, and later led the vaccine business division, where he spearheaded the launch of “SKYCellflu Quadrivalent,” the world’s first quadrivalent cell-culture flu vaccine. When SK Chemicals’ vaccine business division was spun off as SK bioscience, he was appointed CEO and was promoted to president. He values collaboration with overseas organizations for the growth of the vaccine business. He believes that for a company to grow, it must create an environment where its members can do their jobs properly. #AhnJae-yong #SKbioscience #SKChemicals #vaccine #COVID19vaccine #mRNAvaccine #cellandgenetherapy #SKYCellflu #biopharmaceuticals #nextpandemic
- Honorary Chairman of Kolon Group
  Lee Woong-yeul
  
  Lee Woong-yeul is the Honorary Chairman of Kolon Group. He was born on April 18, 1956, in Seoul as the only son among one son and five daughters of Lee Dong-chan, Honorary Chairman of Kolon Group. After graduating from Shinil High School in Seoul, he completed studies in Business Administration at Korea University and graduated from the Department of Business Administration at American University in the United States. He received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the George Washington University School of Business in the United States. He joined Kolon and worked at its New York branch, Tokyo branch, and later served as head of the Asia headquarters. After serving as head of the Planning and Coordination Office of Kolon Group, he was promoted to Vice Chairman and oversaw the practical operations of the second mobile telecommunications business. In 1996, he was appointed Chairman of Kolon Group. He stepped down from the position in 2018. He has focused on the success of the new drug Invossa, which he worked on developing for nearly 20 years, and aims to foster the high value-added biopharmaceutical sector as a new business to strengthen the overall growth potential of the group. He was acquitted after being embroiled in judicial risks related to the Invossa incident for about six years. #KolonGroup #LeeWoongyeul #Invossa #biopharmaceuticals #Koreanbusiness #corporateleadership #MBA #globalbusiness #telecommunications #biotechstrategy
- Chairman and CEO of Eugene Technology
  Um Pyung-yong
  
  Um Pyung-yong is the CEO and chairman of Eugene Technology. He entered the semiconductor deposition equipment market, which had been dominated by foreign companies, and succeeded in joining the supply chains of Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron. He was born on September 14, 1954. He graduated from Kwangwoon University with a degree in applied electronic engineering. He joined Hyundai Electronics, now SK Hynix, and worked on the DRAM development team. He later moved to Teradyne, where he served as technical team leader at the Korean branch, and then worked at Brooks Automation as a senior researcher in charge of the equipment consulting team at its Canadian branch. In 2000, he founded Eugene Technology. As a former SK Hynix employee, he built his capabilities in technology development at a global semiconductor test equipment company and a semiconductor transfer automation company. #UmPyungyong #EugeneTechnology #semiconductors #depositionequipment #SamsungElectronics #SKHynix #Micron #DRAM #semiconductorequipment #KoreanCEO
- CEO and President of Lotte Rental
  Choi Jin-hwan
  
  Choi Jin-hwan is the CEO and president of Lotte Rental. He is focusing on raising corporate value by strengthening Lotte Rental’s core business competitiveness and expanding new businesses. He was born on March 4, 1968, on the solar calendar, in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from Gyeongju High School and Seoul National University’s Department of Economics. He began his career at Korea Long Term Credit Bank. He worked as a consultant at global consulting firms A.T. Kearney and Bain & Company. He moved to Hyundai Capital and served as head of the Strategic Planning Division, with the rank of executive vice president. In 2012, he was chosen as CEO of the newly launched Hyundai Life Insurance, also with the rank of executive vice president. He later served as CEO and president of ADT Caps. After SK Telecom acquired ADT Caps, he worked as head of the Media Platform Division at SK Telecom and was appointed CEO and president of its subsidiary SK Broadband. In March 2023, he was recruited as CEO of Lotte Rental. He is working to boldly reorganize sluggish businesses and transform the company into a data-based mobility platform. He served as chairman of the Korea Intelligent IoT Association. #ChoiJinHwan #LotteRental #CEO #mobility #rentalbusiness #corporatevalue #HyundaiCapital #SKBroadband #ADTCaps #mobilityplatform
- CEO of Samyang Biopharm
  Kim Kyung-jin
  
  Kim Kyung-jin is the CEO of Samyang Biopharm. He is focusing on advancing the proprietary drug delivery platform SENS while accelerating expansion into the global market with key products such as sutures and anticancer drugs. He was born on July 29, 1963. He graduated from Sogang University with a degree in chemistry, earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Sogang University Graduate School, and received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Texas A&M University in the United States. He worked as a researcher for 15 years at the Nutley Research Center of Swiss global pharmaceutical company Roche in the United States. He later moved to ST Pharm, where he served as head of the Synthetic Research Division 1 and head of the research institute. He was appointed CEO in 2017. He joined the Samyang Group as head of the Biopharm Group under Samyang Biopharm (then the pharmaceutical and bio division of Samyang Holdings) and was appointed co-CEO of Samyang Holdings in March 2025. In November 2025, he assumed the role of CEO of Samyang Biopharm, which had been spun off again. He has a background as a researcher at a global big pharma company. He is decisive. #SamyangBiopharm #KimKyungjin #Biopharmaceuticals #DrugDeliveryPlatform #SENS #GlobalPharma #Roche #STPharm #AnticancerDrugs #BiotechLeadership
- Chairwoman of Hyundai Group
  Hyun Jeong-eun
  
  Hyun Jeong-eun is the chairwoman of Hyundai Group. She is speeding up efforts to transform Hyundai Group into a company centered on advanced industries amid the global trend of artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. Although the possibility of resuming inter-Korean businesses such as Mount Kumgang tourism and the Kaesong Industrial Complex is slim, she is preparing to play a leading role if they restart. She was born in Seoul on January 26, 1955, as the second of four daughters of former Hyundai Merchant Marine Chairman Hyun Young-won and former Yongmoon Educational Foundation Chairwoman Kim Moon-hee. She graduated from Gyeonggi Girls’ Middle School, Gyeonggi Girls’ High School, and the Department of Sociology at Ewha Womans University. She received a master’s degree in sociology from the graduate school of Ewha Womans University and a master’s degree in human development from the graduate school of Fairleigh Dickinson University in the United States. After marrying Chung Mong-hun, chairman of Hyundai Group, she lived as a homemaker. In 2003, after Chung’s death, she became chairwoman of Hyundai Elevator, which served as the holding company of Hyundai Group after it was spun off from the broader Hyundai family, and rose to the position of Hyundai Group chairwoman. In 2023, she stepped down as chair of the board of directors and inside director of Hyundai Elevator. Hyundai Group has separated ownership and management, with professional managers leading its operations. She moved beyond the shadows of her father-in-law, Hyundai Group Honorary Chairman Chung Ju-yung, and her husband, Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Mong-hun, to build “Hyun Jeong-eun’s Hyundai Group.” She went through several management control disputes, but did not waver and chose to confront them head-on. At a time when inter-Korean business had stalled because of political interests, she visited North Korea herself to resolve the issue, earning a reputation as a “strong-willed dealmaker.” She has decisiveness and drive. She also serves as an unregistered executive at affiliate Hyundai Elevator and as an inside director at Hyundai Asan and Hyundai Movex. #HyunJeong-eun #HyundaiGroup #HyundaiElevator #HyundaiAsan #HyundaiMovex #AITransformation #AdvancedIndustries #InterKoreanBusiness #MountKumgangTourism #KaesongIndustrialComplex
- President of Kbank
  Choi Woo-hyoung
  
  Choi Woo-hyoung is the president of Kbank. He is seeking future growth engines in the corporate finance market after completing Kbank’s initial public offering (IPO). He was born on January 25, 1966. He graduated from Kyungdong High School in Seoul and Seoul National University’s Department of Economics. He received a master’s degree in financial management from Seoul National University Graduate School of Business. After passing the certified public accountant exam, he began his career at Hana Bank. After working at Accenture, he served as a development team leader at Samsung SDS and as an executive director for financial business development at IBM Korea. He joined Kyongnam Bank as assistant vice president and head of the Digital Finance Division. After BNK Financial Group acquired Kyongnam Bank, he concurrently served as head of the Digital and IT Division at BNK Financial Group and assistant vice president and head of the D-IT Group at Kyongnam Bank. He was appointed president of Kbank in 2024. He was reappointed in 2026. He is a digital finance expert who values practicality and communication. #ChoiWooHyoung #Kbank #digitalfinance #IPO #corporatefinance #HanaBank #SamsungSDS #IBMKorea #BNKFinancialGroup #banking
  NEWS
  - • Kbank’s Final Hurdle: Choi Must Fix Board to Become Real Bank
  - • Kbank’s Third IPO Attempt Faces Political Risks: Choi Woo-hyoung Weighs Timing Carefully

Types of Companies