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

- Chairman of SPC Group
  Heo Young-in
  
  Heo Young-in is the Chairman of SPC Group. He led the growth of Paris Baguette through a meticulous on-site management system and research and development focused on quality improvement. By focusing on expanding overseas businesses, he aims to elevate SPC Group into a “Great Food Company.” He was born on May 17, 1949, in Hwanghae Province, as the second son of Heo Chang-seong, Honorary Chairman of Samlip Foods. Seven months after taking charge as CEO of Samlip Foods, he went to Kansas City in the United States to learn baking technology. After completing his studies abroad and returning to Korea, he became CEO of Shany. While Samlip Foods, led by his older brother Chairman Heo Young-seon, suffered management difficulties due to investments in resort businesses, he developed Paris Baguette, Baskin Robbins, and Dunkin’ Donuts into leading domestic franchises. When Samlip Foods went bankrupt and entered court receivership, he acquired Samlip Foods and established SPC Group by combining Samlip Foods, Shany, Paris Croissant, and B.R. Korea. He has been expanding global operations by opening Paris Baguette stores in China and the United States for the first time in the domestic baking industry. By entering the fresh food business through overseas food and beverage franchises such as Pascucci and Shake Shack, he is pushing for expansion into a comprehensive food company. He is carrying out preparatory steps to transfer management control and ownership stakes to his two sons. As production-site worker deaths and other industrial accidents continued, debates over his responsibility intensified, drawing strong criticism from the government and public opinion. #HeoYoungin #SPCGroup #ParisBaguette #KoreanFoodIndustry #GlobalExpansion #BakeryIndustry #FranchiseBusiness #FoodConglomerate #IndustrialAccidents #CorporateSuccession
  NEWS
  - • Why Do SPC Accidents Persist? Heo Young-in’s Denial Undermines KRW 100 Billion Safety Plan
  - • Heo Young-in Acquitted of Breach of Trust, But Key Trial Still Ahead—SPC Struggles with ‘Anti-Labor’ Image
- CEO of Dunamu
  Oh Kyoung-suk
  
  Oh Kyoung-suk is the CEO of Dunamu. Following the comprehensive stock swap with Naver Financial, he is focusing on creating synergies and exploring new sources of revenue. He was born on May 18, 1976, in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. He graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Korea University. He is a certified public accountant and worked at Samil PwC. After passing the 47th Korean bar exam and completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute, he served as a judge at the Suwon District Court, a research judge at the Supreme Court, and a lawyer at Kim & Chang. In 2016, he joined apparel company Panko and entered the industrial sector. In 2018, he was appointed CEO. After concurrently serving as an auditor for Musinsa and Dunamu, he was recruited as CEO of Dunamu in June 2025. #Dunamu #OhKyoungSuk #cryptocurrency #blockchain #NaverFinancial #corporategovernance #fintech #KoreaBusiness #CEOprofile #stockexchange
- CEO of Timefolio Asset Management
  Hwang Sung-hwan
  
  Hwang Sung-hwan is a co-CEO of Timefolio Asset Management. Together with co-CEO Kim Hong-ki, he leads Timefolio Asset Management. He is focusing his capabilities on expanding the firm’s management scope beyond private equity funds into the public fund market and establishing it as a comprehensive asset management company. He was born on October 23, 1976, in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from the affiliated high school of Chosun University in Gwangju and the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Seoul National University. He joined Daewoo Securities and worked in investment operations in the dealing room, and just one year later, in 2006, he founded Timefolio & Company. After acquiring a private equity fund, the company changed its name to the current Timefolio Asset Management. He is known for an investment style that generates returns by investing when fear dominates the market. #HwangSung-hwan #TimefolioAssetManagement #assetmanagement #fundmanagement #Koreafinance #investmentstrategy #privateequity #publicfunds #CEOprofile #Koreanexecutive
- Chairman of the Board and CTO of AimedBio
  Nam Do-hyun
  
  Nam Do-hyun is Chairman of the Board and CTO of AimedBio. He is focusing on expanding technology transfer partnerships while also accelerating research and development of follow-on pipelines. He was born in August 1963. He graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine and earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in neurosurgery from Seoul National University Graduate School. He previously served as Director of the Cancer Stem Cell Research Center at Samsung Medical Center and Head of the government-designated Leading Project Group for Intractable Cancer Research under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. In 2018, he founded AimedBio, which develops antibody-drug conjugate-based therapeutics. While serving as Chairman of the Board, he stepped down from the CEO position and currently serves as chief technology officer (CT). He is an owner-manager with a background as a neurosurgeon, having accumulated 30 years of experience in the field of brain tumors. He was the first in Korea to establish a method to isolate and culture cancer stem cells from glioblastoma patients. He has worked as a specialist at the Department of Neurosurgery at Samsung Medical Center, Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Professor in the Department of Convergence Medical Science, an advisory member of the PSOC at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and a full member of the National Academy of Medicine of Korea. He has a strong interest in addressing unmet medical needs. #NamDo-hyun #AimedBio #biotechnology #ADC #cancerresearch #glioblastoma #medicalinnovation #technologytransfer #neurosurgery #unmetmedicalneeds
- CEO of Aptabio
  Lee Soo-jin
  
  Moon Ho-sang-ssi Lee Soo-jin (Lee Soo-jin) is the CEO of Aptabio. She is pursuing scale growth through new businesses such as health functional foods and pet-related businesses. She was born on February 10, 1969. She graduated from the Department of Chemistry at Chungbuk National University and received a master’s degree in organic and biochemistry from the graduate school of Chungbuk National University. She earned a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the graduate school of Ajou University. She served as head of the New Drug Research Team at the Central Research Institute of JW Pharmaceutical. In 2009, she founded Aptabio, a platform technology-based company focused on developing first-in-class new drugs within its corporate group. She is a new drug expert with more than 25 years of experience in new drug research and development. She is accelerating efforts in new drug development and technology transfer based on those achievements. #Aptabio #LeeSoojin #biotech #newdrug #drugdevelopment #firstinclass #platformtechnology #pharmaceuticals #healthfunctionalfoods #petbusiness
- CEO of Hugel
  Chang Daniel Doo-hyun
  
  Jang Doo-hyun (Daniel Chang) is the Chief Executive Officer of Hugel. He was born on July 4, 1976. In 1999, he majored in economics and political science at the University of Michigan in the United States. After handling finance-related work at AT&T, he moved to CJ Group’s Corporate Strategy Office, where he worked across CJ, CJ Logistics’ U.S. subsidiary and overseas business management, and served as head of CJ CGV’s Vietnam business. After joining Boryung Holdings as head of the Strategy Planning Office, he served as Executive Vice President in charge of overall operations at Boryung Pharmaceutical, and was appointed CEO of Boryung in August 2021. In September 2025, he was brought into Hugel as Chief Executive Officer. He is regarded as the right person to enhance Hugel’s future value and accelerate its global growth. To reduce market uncertainty, including rumors of Hugel’s sale and concerns over investor exits, there is a need for him to focus on presenting clear management plans and strengthening communication both inside and outside the company. #Hugel #DanielChang #JangDooHyun #biopharmaceutical #globalgrowth #CEO #corporatestrategy #Boryung #CJGroup #executiveprofile
- President and Head of Strategy, Business Support Office, Samsung Electronics
  Choi Yoon-ho
  
  Choi Yoon-ho is President and Head of the Strategy Team at Samsung Electronics’ Business Support Office. He must refine a new-growth portfolio centered on artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors and establish a global strategy to respond to external risks. He was born on January 11, 1963 (lunar calendar). He graduated from Deoksu Commercial High School in Seoul (now Deoksu High School) and from the Business Administration Department at Sungkyunkwan University. After joining Samsung Electronics, he mainly worked in finance-related departments, including the International Accounting Group, the Business Management Group, and the Overseas Management Group. He served in Samsung Group’s Future Strategy Office, where he was responsible for Strategy Team 1. After being promoted to President and Head of the Corporate Management Office at Samsung Electronics, he was appointed as an inside director. In the November 2025 personnel reshuffle, he moved to the position of Head of the Strategy Team within the Business Support Office. He is regarded as one of Samsung Group’s leading financial experts. He is also known for his extensive experience in strategy and for his clean, precise work style. #Samsung #SamsungElectronics #ChoiYoonHo #AI #semiconductor #strategy #finance #BusinessSupportOffice #Korea #management
  NEWS
  - • Choi Yoon-ho of Samsung SDI Sells Non-Core Polarizing Film, Seizes Opportunity with Battery Investments
  - • K-Battery Investment Pause Amid Prolonged Chasm, Focus on Samsung SDI Choi Yoon-ho's 'Expansion' Declaration
- Chair of the SK Supex Council and CEO and Vice Chairman of SK Discovery
  Choi Chang-won
  
  Choi Chang-won is the chair of the SK Supex Council and the CEO and vice chairman of SK Discovery. Since 2024, he has been leading the group-wide rebalancing efforts as the head of SK Group’s top decision-making body. He was born on August 27, 1964, in Seoul as the youngest son of SK Group founder Choi Jong-gun. He is a cousin of SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won and Senior Vice Chairman Choi Jae-won. He graduated from Yeouido High School in Seoul and earned a degree in psychology from Seoul National University. He completed an MBA program at the University of Michigan. He began his career in the management planning office of Sunkyong Group, the predecessor of SK Group, and primarily handled planning and finance at SK Chemicals, SK Global, Walkerhill, and SK Construction. He served as CEO and vice chairman of SK Chemicals and as CEO of SK Construction (now SK Ecoplant), before becoming CEO and vice chairman of SK Discovery in 2024. He is known for having many ideas and strong drive. He is also interested in philanthropy. #SK #SKDiscovery #SKGroup #ChoiChangwon #leadership #biography #SouthKorea #businessstrategy #management #philanthropy
  NEWS
  - • Chey Tae-won’s Choice of Choi Chang-won — How Far Has the Restructuring Come?
  - • SK Group Accelerates Rebalancing in the Second Half, Choi Chang-won Aims to Secure Up to KRW 10 Trillion
- CEO of ISU Abxis
  Ryu Joon-soo
  
  Ryu Joon-soo is the CEO of ISU Abxis. He has presented a new drug development roadmap for antibody therapeutics, setting a goal of achieving a “big-deal” level technology export within three years. He was born on January 14, 1972. He graduated from the Department of Food Science and Biotechnology at Seoul National University and earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Biological Sciences from KAIST. He completed an MBA program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in the United States. He began his career as a drug developer at the ISU Abxis R&D Center, later gaining experience in bio business management and corporate strategy by handling product portfolio management at Hanwha Group’s Bio Division and pharmaceutical management strategy consulting at IMS Consulting Group Korea. After working at Mundipharma Korea, a global pharmaceutical company, he served as a senior managing director at GC Pharma and was appointed CEO of Kyne Science in 2019. He then moved to Dong-A ST as Executive Director in charge of R&D Strategy and returned to ISU Abxis as CEO in March 2025. He has overseen business management and corporate strategy across a wide range of bio organizations, from biotech ventures to traditional domestic pharmaceutical companies and multinational corporations. #RyuJoonsoo #ISUAbxis #biotech #antibody #drugdevelopment #pharmaceutical #KoreaBiotech #lifescience #MBA #businessstrategy
- CEO of Nota
  Chae Myung-soo
  
  Chae Myung-soo is the CEO of Nota. He is pursuing the vision of “AI Everywhere” with the goal of becoming a global top-tier AI optimization platform company. He was born on March 17, 1989. He graduated from Soongsil University with a degree in Industrial & Information Systems Engineering and completed a master’s program in Knowledge Service Engineering at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). He acquired shares of Nota, an AI platform company that originated from a KAIST campus venture, and became its CEO. He has a practical grasp of both technological capabilities and market demand, and starting from an early-stage startup idea, he successfully identified and captured a clear niche in “on-device AI.” #Nota #AIoptimization #AIplatform #AIEverywhere #ChaeMyungsoo #startup #KAIST #ondeviceAI #technologystrategy #globalAI

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