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

- CEO of Korea Railroad Corporation
  Kim Tae-seung
  
  Kim Tae-seung is the CEO of Korea Railroad Corporation. He faces the tasks of integrating high-speed rail, strengthening safety, and improving finances. He was born on October 29, 1961, in Gochang, North Jeolla Province. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in economics and received a master’s degree and a doctorate in economics from Seoul National University’s graduate school. He began his career in the Transportation Research Office at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements. He worked as a policy secretary at the National Assembly Secretariat. He served as a senior researcher at the SOC Research Center of the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements and as a senior research fellow at the Centre for Transportation Studies at the University of British Columbia in Canada. He headed the Northeast Asia, Logistics and Transportation Economics Research Center at the Korea Transport Institute and served as vice president of the Gyeonggi Research Institute. He later became a professor in the Asia Pacific School of Logistics at Inha University’s College of Business Administration. In February 2026, he was finally selected through a public recruitment process for the position of CEO of Korea Railroad Corporation. #KimTae-seung #KoreaRailroadCorporation #KORAIL #highspeedrail #railwaysafety #financialimprovement #transportationpolicy #railintegration #logistics #publiccorporation
- President and CEO of ISU Specialty Chemical
  Lyu Seung-ho
  
  Lyu Seung-ho is President and CEO of ISU Specialty Chemical. He is focusing on establishing commercial production facilities for lithium sulfide (Li2S), a key material for all-solid-state batteries, and securing a leading position in the global supply chain. He is also concentrating on expanding investment in TDM, the company’s existing flagship product. He was born on April 1, 1963. He graduated from Kyungnam High School in Busan and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Seoul National University. He also received a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the graduate school of Seoul National University. After joining ISU, he worked as head of the Strategic Planning Team and executive in charge of management planning. He later served as head of the Business Planning Division at ISU Abxis before being appointed CEO of ISU Abxis in 2013. He moved to ISU Chemical, where he served as head of the Safety Technology Division and plant manager, and was appointed CEO in 2016. In 2023, he was selected as President and CEO of ISU Specialty Chemical, which was launched through a spin-off from ISU Chemical. He is regarded as an expert in fine chemicals. He has served as a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea and as senior vice chairman of the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers. #ISUSpecialtyChemical #LyuSeungho #AllSolidStateBattery #LithiumSulfide #Li2S #BatteryMaterials #FineChemicals #ISUChemical #TDM #ChemicalEngineering
- Chairman and CEO of Mezzion
  Park Dong-hyun
  
  Park Dong-hyun is chairman and CEO of Mezzion. He faces the urgent task of securing financial stability amid concerns over capital impairment. He was born on August 15, 1956. He graduated from Yale University in the United States with a degree in economics and earned a master’s degree in accounting from New York University’s business school. He completed an MBA program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He worked as a manager in the corporate audit division of KPMG in the United States and as a director in Merrill Lynch’s investment banking group. After returning to Korea, he founded Feist Investment and advised on corporate mergers and acquisitions. After serving as an outside director of Dong-A Pharmaceutical, he was recruited in 2002 as CEO of Dong-A PharmTech, Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s new drug development subsidiary. After increasing his stake, he reorganized the company into Mezzion in 2013 and became chairman and CEO. He transformed himself from a finance and corporate M&A expert from Wall Street in New York into the head of a drug development company. He is focusing his capabilities on switching the indication of udenafil, developed as an erectile dysfunction treatment, to develop it as a treatment for Fontan patients. #ParkDonghyun #Mezzion #CEO #drugdevelopment #udenafil #Fontanpatients #DongAPharmTech #DongAPharmaceutical #WallStreet #biopharmaceuticals
- President and CEO of SNT Dynamics
  Park Jae-seok
  
  Park Jae-seok is CEO of SNT Dynamics. He is focusing on technological independence in core defense components and expanding the company’s portfolio in precision machinery and electronic control modules. He is also accelerating efforts to enter global markets, including expanding overseas sales. He was born on November 27, 1959, in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. He graduated from Baemoon High School in Seoul and earned a degree in German Language and Literature from Yonsei University. At Daewoo Group, he was in charge of quality control for truck manufacturing. He later moved to GC Biopharma, where he worked as a director in charge of public relations. After joining Tongil Heavy Industries, now SNT Dynamics, as executive vice president of the Planning and Coordination Office, he was appointed CEO in 2005. After serving as CEO of SNT Brake, he was selected as CEO of SNT Holdings. In 2021, he returned to SNT Dynamics as CEO and president. He has led the overall defense, machinery and parts businesses while working across SNT Holdings affiliates. #ParkJae-seok #SNTDynamics #SNTGroup #defenseindustry #precisionmachinery #electroniccontrol #defensecomponents #globalmarket #technologyindependence #Koreabusiness
- CEO of Seoul Semiconductor
  Lee Chung-hoon
  
  Lee Chung-hoon is CEO of Seoul Semiconductor. He also serves as CEO of its subsidiary Seoul Viosys. Based on patent competitiveness, he aims to take the lead in the microLED market and turn the company into a global No. 1 player. He is focusing on improving the company’s financial structure by boosting profitability. He was born on January 21, 1953, by the lunar calendar, in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. He graduated from Korea University with a degree in physics and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Korea University Graduate School. He completed an MBA program at the University of Oklahoma’s business school in the United States. He joined Jeil Precision Industrial and worked as a planning manager. He later moved to Samshin Electric, where he worked as an executive director, and continued serving as vice president even after the company was sold. In 1992, he acquired Seoul Semiconductor. He is a first-generation venture entrepreneur who built the company into a world-class company specializing in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). He values technology and is uncompromising when it comes to protecting patent rights. #LeeChung-hoon #SeoulSemiconductor #SeoulViosys #microLED #LED #patents #ventureentrepreneur #technology #profitability #Koreanbusiness
- Chairman of IBK Industrial Bank of Korea
  Chang Min-young
  
  Chang Min-young is the CEO of IBK Industrial Bank of Korea. As the head of a policy financial institution, he is focusing on strengthening the corporate banking capabilities of the bank and its subsidiaries in line with the government’s shift toward productive finance. In particular, he has devoted efforts to the rapid supply of productive financing and to easing information asymmetry in the KOSDAQ market. He was born on September 23, 1964. He graduated from Daewon High School in Seoul and earned a bachelor’s degree in German Literature from Korea University. He later completed an MBA program at Pennsylvania State University in the United States. Chang joined IBK Industrial Bank of Korea and served as head of the Yeouido Korea Securities Branch. He later worked as head of the IBK Economic Research Institute, head of the Gangbuk Regional Headquarters, and head of the Risk Management Group as an executive vice president. He moved to IBK Asset Management, a subsidiary of IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, and was appointed CEO of IBK Asset Management in 2024. In 2026, he returned to IBK Industrial Bank of Korea as CEO. He is known for his strong understanding of financial markets and his expertise in risk management. #IBKIndustrialBankofKorea #ChangMinyoung #KOSDAQ #CorporateBanking #RiskManagement #ProductiveFinance #IBKAssetManagement #FinancialMarkets #KoreanBanking #PolicyFinance
- CEO of Hyundai Rotem
  Lee Yong-bae
  
  Lee Yong-bae is the CEO of Hyundai Rotem. He is working to expand exports of the company’s main products, tanks and railway vehicles, while developing aerospace and hydrogen as future growth engines. He was born on April 8, 1961. He graduated from Seoul Youngnak Commercial High School and Jeonju University’s Department of Business Administration. He received a master’s degree in financial management from Kyung Hee University’s Graduate School of Business Administration. He joined Hyundai Precision Industry, now Hyundai Mobis, and handled accounting work. He moved to Hyundai Motor and worked as head of the Management Administration Office and head of Planning and Coordination Office 3. He worked at Hyundai Wia as vice president in charge of planning, finance, purchasing and management. After serving as vice president in charge of overall sales at HMC Investment Securities, now Hyundai Motor Securities, he was appointed CEO of HMC Investment Securities in 2017. In 2020, he took office as CEO of Hyundai Rotem. He is credited with leading the company’s turnaround to profitability and rapid earnings growth. He is regarded as one of Hyundai Motor Group’s leading financial experts. #LeeYongbae #HyundaiRotem #HyundaiMotorGroup #defense #railwayvehicles #K2tank #exports #aerospace #hydrogen #CEO
- CEO and President of Iljin Electric
  Yoo Sang-seok
  
  Yoo Sang-seok is the CEO and president of Iljin Electric. He is focusing on targeting the global power market while speeding up the expansion of the company’s new business portfolio into the secondary battery materials industry. He was born on Nov. 13, 1967, in Muan County, South Jeolla Province. He graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a degree in mechanical engineering and joined Iljin Electric. He worked as head of quality management and head of the transformer business division. He also served as senior managing director and head of the heavy electric equipment business division, and executive vice president and head of the electric wire business division. He was appointed CEO in 2025, just one year after being promoted to COO and vice president. He is an expert in electric wires and power equipment who has worked at Iljin Electric for more than 30 years and led major positions across the company. He joined the company as an entry-level employee and rose to the top management position. He emphasizes “presenting a vision” as the role of a manager. #YooSangseok #IljinElectric #CEO #powerindustry #electricwires #powerequipment #transformer #secondarybattery #batterymaterials #globalpowermarket
- former leader of the People Power Party
  Han Dong-hoon
  
  Han Dong-hoon is a former leader of the People Power Party. He was born on April 9, 1973, in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. He graduated from Hyundai High School in Seoul and Seoul National University College of Law. After completing an LLM program at Columbia Law School in the United States, he obtained a license to practice law in New York State. He passed the 37th bar exam and completed the 27th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute before beginning his career as a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. During the Moon Jae-in administration, he served as the third deputy chief prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office under then-Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office chief Yoon Suk Yeol, investigating corruption in the Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak governments. After Yoon Suk Yeol was appointed prosecutor general, Han was promoted to chief prosecutor and led the investigation into the family of Cho Kuk, the minister of justice, as head of the Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, formerly the Central Investigation Department. After serving as deputy chief prosecutor of the Busan High Prosecutors’ Office, research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute, and deputy director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, he became the first minister of justice under the Yoon Suk Yeol government. He entered politics as chair of the People Power Party’s emergency response committee and led the party in the April 2024 general elections, but suffered a crushing defeat. Three months later, he ran in the party convention and was elected party leader despite coming from outside the National Assembly. In December 2024, when the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol and the party leadership collapsed, he stepped down as party leader. He was once called a “minor president” as one of President Yoon’s closest aides, but after serving as People Power Party leader, he became a symbolic figure of the “non-Yoon” camp. In February 2025, he resumed political activities by publishing the book “Han Dong-hoon’s Choice — The People Come First.” After former President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached, Han ran in the 21st presidential election, but lost to former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo in the People Power Party primary and failed to advance to the general election. In January 2026, he was expelled from the People Power Party over the so-called “party member bulletin board case.” He ran as an independent in the by-election for the National Assembly seat in Buk-gu A, Busan, held together with the June 3, 2026, local elections. #HanDonghoon #PeoplePowerParty #YoonSukYeol #SouthKoreaPolitics #JusticeMinister #PresidentialElection #NationalAssembly #BusanByElection #KoreanProsecutors #ConservativePolitics
  NEWS
  - • Han Dong-hoon Resigns Amid 'Impeachment Responsibility' Pressure, Faces Resistance from PPP Mainstream on Path to Presidential Bid
  - • Han Dong-hoon: "Yoon Suk-yeol's Duty Suspension Necessary; Martial Law Plan to Arrest Politicians Confirmed"
- CEO of Woori Investment & Securities
  Nam Ki-cheon
  
  Nam Ki-cheon is the CEO of Woori Investment & Securities. He is working to build a balanced business portfolio by diversifying the company’s product lineup, which has been centered on bonds, into stocks and global solutions. He aims to expand the company’s scale and help it grow into a comprehensive financial investment business operator. He was born on April 20, 1964, in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from Daedong High School in Busan and Seoul National University’s Department of Business Administration. He earned a master’s degree in business administration from Seoul National University’s graduate school and completed an MBA program at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley in the United States. He began his career at Daewoo Securities. He served as head of Daewoo Securities’ London subsidiary and as managing director in charge of proprietary asset management. In 2016, he moved to Multi Asset Global Investments, formerly KDB Asset Management and a subsidiary of Mirae Asset Global Investments, where he served as CEO in charge of overall asset management. He was appointed CEO of Woori Asset Management and later named CEO of Woori Investment Bank. In 2024, when Woori Investment Bank merged with Foss Securities and relaunched as Woori Investment & Securities, he took office as its first CEO. He was reappointed in 2026. He is an alternative investment expert who has worked at securities firms and asset management companies for more than 20 years, and he is the first outside executive recommended by Woori Financial Group Chairman Yim Jong-yong. He invests boldly when he spots an opportunity. #NamKiCheon #WooriInvestmentSecurities #WooriFinancialGroup #CEO #securities #assetmanagement #alternativeinvestment #portfolio #globalinvestment #financialinvestment

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