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

- Chairman and CEO of Hanil Holdings
  Huh Gi-ho
  
  Huh Gi-ho is the Chairman and CEO of Hanil Holdings. He also serves as Chairman of Hanil Cement. He is focusing on defending performance deterioration caused by the prolonged downturn in the construction industry and on transforming the cement business into a “low-carbon management” system. He was born on November 15, 1966, in Seoul as the eldest son among three sons of Huh Jung-sup, Honorary Chairman of Hanil Cement. He graduated from Seoul Seongnam High School and the Department of Economics at Sungkyunkwan University. He completed his MBA at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University in the United States. He joined Hanil Cement and, after serving as Head of the Management Division and Head of the Corporate Planning Office, became CEO of Hanil Cement in 2005. After the transition to a holding company system, he became Chairman and CEO of Hanil Holdings. Following the acquisition of Hyundai Cement, he completed eight years of integration to establish a “single Hanil” system and led the company to become No. 1 in domestic market share in Korea’s cement industry. #HanilHoldings #HanilCement #HuhGiho #cementindustry #lowcarbonstrategy #constructiondownturn #Koreabusiness #CEOprofile #corporatestrategy #industrialleadership
  NEWS
  - • Hanil Cement Eyes Value-Up Policy: Huh Gi-ho Prioritizes Returns and Green Investments
- President and CEO of Korea Aerospace Industries
  Kim Jong-chul
  
  Kim Jong-chul is President and CEO of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). He is tasked with ending an eight-month management vacuum and pursuing organizational renewal and the discovery of new growth engines. He was born in January 1962. He graduated as a member of the 31st class of the Air Force Academy. He worked in the Air Force, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. After retiring from the military, he joined the Defense Acquisition Program Administration through a special recruitment process when the agency was launched, and served as director general for planning and coordination, director general of the Defense Technology Security Bureau, and head of the Unmanned Business Division. After serving as a professor in the Department of Defense Technology Management at Kwangwoon University, he was recruited in March 2026 as President and CEO of Korea Aerospace Industries. He is a hands-on leader with broad experience in air power, defense exports, and unmanned systems, built through his career in the military, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. He needs visible management results that can put to rest the controversy raised over the appointment process and his qualifications to lead the company. #KAI #KimJongchul #KoreaAerospaceIndustries #defenseindustry #aerospace #AirForce #DefenseAcquisitionProgramAdministration #defenseexports #unmannedsystems #corporateleadership
- CEO of NC
  Kim Taek-jin
  
  Kim Taek-jin is the CEO of NC. He was born on March 14, 1967, in Seoul. He graduated from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Seoul National University. He received a master’s degree in electronic engineering from Seoul National University’s graduate school and later dropped out of the doctoral program. After co-developing “Hangul Word Processor (Arae-a Hangeul),” he founded Hangul & Computer (Hanme Soft). He fulfilled his alternative military service at Hyundai Electronics’ Boston R&D Center and worked as a development team leader at Hyundai Electronics. In 1997, he founded NCSoft and achieved great success with the Lineage series. However, as he failed to produce another major hit and showed weak performance in new IP and new business ventures, he recruited co-CEO Park Byung-moo and is pushing forward with restructuring. He is known for being frugal and modest, but in business, he shows a strong competitive spirit. NCSoft changed its company name to NC following a shareholders’ meeting in March 2026. #KimTaekjin #NCSoft #Lineage #Koreangameindustry #GameCEO #Entrepreneurship #Techleadership #Gaminghistory #Businessstrategy #Restructuring
  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
- CEO of Samsung Card
  Kim Yi-Tae
  
  Kim Yi-tae is the CEO of Samsung Card. He is focusing on strengthening Samsung Card’s digital capabilities and discovering new growth drivers for the future. He was born on February 22, 1966, in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do. He graduated from Masan Gyeongsang High School and Seoul National University with a degree in Business Administration. He received a master’s degree in Business Administration from Seoul National University Graduate School and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He began his public service career at the Ministry of Finance after passing the 36th Higher Civil Service Examination. He later worked as Director of the Sovereign Wealth Management Division at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and served as an advisor in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He moved to Samsung Electronics, where he held positions as Executive in charge of the IR Group, Head of the Strategy Group, Head of the Global Communications Group, and Head of the External Affairs Team. In 2023, he was appointed CEO of Samsung Venture Investment. After becoming President of Samsung Card in November 2024, he was appointed CEO of Samsung Card in March 2025. He is known for his quick ability to learn and for having many ideas. #SamsungCard #KimYiTae #Samsung #CEO #Finance #DigitalTransformation #CorporateLeadership #IMF #SamsungElectronics #VentureInvestment
- Chairman of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea (Saemaul Geumgo)
  Kim In
  
  Kim In is the Chairman of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea (Saemaul Geumgo). He is focusing on normalizing insolvent project financing (PF) business sites and improving the financial structure of Saemaul Geumgo. He was born on November 6, 1952. He graduated from Kyungbok High School in Seoul and the College of Education at Seoul National University. He served as Chairman of Namdaemun Market Co., Ltd. and Chairman of Namdaemun Saemaul Geumgo. After serving as Vice Chairman of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea, he took on the role of Acting Chairman. Following the resignation of former Chairman Park Cha-hoon, he was elected in a by-election and assumed the position of Chairman of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea in December 2023. He was re-elected in the December 2025 election. He is focusing on restoring the fundamental values of cooperatives and strengthening the role of social solidarity finance. #SaemaulGeumgo #KimIn #KoreaFinance #CooperativeFinance #PFcrisis #FinancialReform #CreditUnion #SocialFinance #KoreaEconomy #Leadership
  NEWS
  - • Will KFCC Chairman Kim In Seek Reappointment? Key Lies in Profitability Recovery and Ties with Interior Ministry
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Hi-Mart
  Nam Chang-hee
  
  Nam Chang-hee is Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Hi-Mart. He also serves as Chairman of the Board. He is focusing on improving the company’s structure to overcome the downturn in the home appliance retail industry. He was born on October 30, 1966. He graduated from Seoul Hwagok High School and the Department of German Language and Literature at Hanyang University. After joining Lotte Mart, he worked as head of the advertising and promotion team, managing director of the home appliance team, and head of the marketing office. After being promoted to an executive position, he held all major key posts in Lotte Shopping’s Mart Division (Lotte Mart), including head of the merchandise division, head of the marketing division, head of the merchandise headquarters, head of the marketing headquarters, head of the MD headquarters, and head of the customer headquarters. In December 2019, he was appointed as head of Lotte Shopping’s Super Division (CEO of Lotte Super) as a turnaround specialist and focused on improving the company’s structure. At the time, it drew attention that he was the only “Lotte Man” among the heads of Lotte Shopping’s various business divisions. At the end of 2022, he was appointed CEO of Lotte Hi-Mart. He is putting effort into transforming the business structure from one centered on home appliance sales to one focused on home appliance care services. He is also working to strengthen private brands to improve profitability. #LotteHiMart #NamChanghee #LotteGroup #RetailStrategy #ApplianceIndustry #BusinessTransformation #PrivateBrand #CEOProfile #KoreaBusiness #RetailInnovation
- CEO of SD Biosensor
  Lee Hyo-keun
  
  Lee Hyo-keun is the CEO of SD Biosensor. He is focusing his capabilities on building distribution networks in North America. He is also accelerating efforts to improve the company’s business structure by localizing global production bases and expanding non-COVID product lines. He was born on October 12, 1963, in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. He graduated from Yushin High School in Gyeonggi and earned a degree in chemical engineering from Ajou University. He worked at Yuhan Cyanamid for 10 years. He later moved to SD (now Abbott Diagnostics Korea), where he served as executive vice president in charge of the glucose business division. In 2010, he was appointed CEO of SD Biosensor. He is an expert in the in vitro diagnostics field. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he increased SD Biosensor’s revenue to nearly KRW 3 trillion (US$ 2.2 billion) by expanding the company’s share in overseas markets. #SDBiosensor #LeeHyoKeun #diagnostics #COVID19 #globalexpansion #NorthAmerica #biotech #healthcare #IVD #KoreaBusiness
- Chairman of LS Group
  Koo Ja-eun
  
  Koo Ja-eun is Chairman of LS Group. He is striving to expand production capacity in the group’s core power equipment business and to create concrete results in future growth businesses such as batteries, electric vehicles, and semiconductors, with the goal of raising group assets to KRW 50 trillion (US$ 36.0 billion) by 2030. In line with the group’s unique tradition of “cousin management,” he is leading the group until 2029 and serving as a bridge to the era of the “third generation of owners” afterward. He was born in Seoul on October 18, 1964, as the third of four children, with one son and three daughters, of Koo Du-hoe, Honorary Chairman of Yesco Holdings. He graduated from Hongik University High School in Seoul and from the business administration department at Benedictine University in the United States. He completed an MBA program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in the United States. He joined LG Caltex Oil and later moved to LG Electronics. When LS Group separated from LG Group, he moved to LS Electric. At LS Cable, he served as head of the Injection System Business Division and head of the Communications Business Headquarters, and after serving as executive vice president of LS-Nikko Copper, he became CEO and President of LS Cable in 2012. After serving as CEO of LS Mtron, he took office as chairman in 2022. Since the LG days, he has broadened his insight by working across various affiliates in different fields, and at LS Group he has continued to advance as a manager, renewing record-high performances on the back of strong conditions in the group’s key businesses. He places importance on a horizontal organizational culture and is making diverse and unconventional attempts to change the typically conservative atmosphere of the power industry. He is showing leadership marked by soft charisma. Within the group, he is recognized as an overseas sales expert who is fluent in foreign languages such as English, Chinese, and Japanese. There were no major typos in the original Korean text, but “1남3녀 가운데 셋째” could sound slightly awkward in English if translated literally, so it was rendered naturally as “the third of four children, with one son and three daughters.” #LSGroup #KooJaeun #LSChairman #Koreabusiness #powerequipment #batterybusiness #electricvehicles #semiconductorindustry #cousinmanagement #Koreanchaebol
  NEWS
  - • Koo Ja-eun Building LS's Future with Ambidextrous Management, But Market Disconnect Remains a Blemish
  - • LS Group Expands Battery and Electric Vehicle Business Portfolio as New Growth Engines
- CEO of Pulmuone
  Lee Woo-bong
  
  Lee Woo-bong is the CEO of Pulmuone. He is focusing on exploring overseas markets for the company’s second leap forward and globalizing K-food. He was born on October 27, 1962, in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. He graduated from Simseok High School in Namyangju and earned a degree in accounting from Kangwon National University. He completed an MBA course at Dongguk University Graduate School of Business. He joined Pulmuone and worked as head of the business support office at Pulmuone Saemmul, and as head of the management support office, head of the strategic purchasing office, and head of the foodservice business division at Pulmuone Foodmerce. After serving as head of the management support office at Pulmuone Foods, he was appointed CEO of Pulmuone Food and Culture in 2019. Since 2025, he has served as CEO of Pulmuone. He is the first CEO in the company’s history to come from an open recruitment background. #LeeWoo-bong #Pulmuone #KFood #globalexpansion #CEO #foodindustry #KoreaBusiness #PulmuoneCEO #overseasmarkets #corporateprofile
- President of Pusan National University
  Choi Jae-weon
  
  Choi Jae-weon is the President of Pusan National University. He was born in 1965. He is working to implement AI transformation in line with the times and to push forward the long-standing goal of establishing a veterinary school at the university. He graduated from Busan Dongsung High School and the Department of Control and Instrumentation Engineering at Seoul National University. He received both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Control and Instrumentation Engineering from the graduate school of Seoul National University. He was appointed as a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Pusan National University. He served as Director of the Office of Planning, Head of the Institute of Mechanical Technology, Director of the Engineering Education Innovation Center, and Head of the Accreditation Center, before holding positions as Dean of the College of Engineering, Dean of the Graduate School of Industry, Dean of the Graduate School of Environment, and Dean of the Graduate School of Technology Entrepreneurship. He was elected as President in 2024. He has served as Director of the Engineering Education Innovation Leading Center under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, President of the Korean Society of Control, Robotics and Systems, and President of the National Council of Engineering College Deans. He is also serving as Co-Chair of the Busan Science and Technology Council, Co-Chair of the Busan City RISE Committee, and President of the Association of National and Public University Presidents. He is a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. #PusanNationalUniversity #ChoiJaeweon #UniversityPresident #AITRANSFORMATION #HigherEducation #EngineeringLeadership #KoreaAcademia #UniversityAdministration #Busan #EngineeringEducation

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