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

- CEO of Hanwha Engine
  Kim Jong-seo
  
  Kim Jong-seo is the CEO of Hanwha Engine. He is expanding the company’s business scope into the electric propulsion field while also accelerating efforts to secure eco-friendly technologies and production systems. He was born on August 26, 1967. He graduated from Daesung High School in Seoul and earned a degree in chemical engineering from Sogang University. He joined Hanwha Chemical and worked at Hanwha Qcells as head of the Japan subsidiary and head of the Tokyo office. He later served as CEO of Hanwha TotalEnergies and head of the merchant ship business division at Hanwha Ocean, before being appointed CEO of Hanwha Engine in 2025. He is an expert in the shipbuilding, marine, and energy industries. During his tenure as CEO of Hanwha TotalEnergies, he demonstrated his management capabilities by achieving a turnaround in business performance amid a crisis. He is also regarded as a strong global sales leader, having delivered outstanding results in expanding overseas markets. #HanwhaEngine #KimJongseo #HanwhaGroup #shipbuilding #marineindustry #energyindustry #electricpropulsion #ecofriendlytechnology #globalbusiness #CEO
- CEO of Naver
  Choi Soo-yeon
  
  Choi Soo-yeon is the CEO of Naver. She is focusing on applying artificial intelligence (AI) to core businesses such as search, commerce, and content. She was born on November 3, 1981, in Gwangju Metropolitan City. She graduated from Gwangju Dongshin Girls’ High School and the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems Engineering at Seoul National University. She also graduated from Yonsei Law School and completed the LLM program at Harvard Law School. She passed the first Korean Bar Examination and the New York Bar Examination, holding lawyer licenses in both countries. She worked in communication and marketing departments at NHN and practiced as a lawyer specializing in corporate mergers and acquisitions and capital markets law at Yulchon LLC. After rejoining Naver, she led the global business support division and was appointed CEO in 2022. #ChoiSooYeon #Naver #CEO #artificialintelligence #search #commerce #content #Koreanbusiness #technologyleader #womenexecutive
  NEWS
  - • Lee Hae-jin’s Return to Naver Boosts Choi Soo-yeon — The Era of ‘Lee Hae-jin Kids’ Begins
  - • Naver Launches AI-Powered, Same-Day Delivery Shopping App—E-commerce Battle Heats Up Against Coupang
- CEO of Doosan Tesna
  Kim Yoon-gun
  
  Kim Yoon-gun is the CEO of Doosan Tesna. He also serves as CFO. He was born on April 3, 1968. He graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Hanyang University. After joining Doosan Food, he worked at major affiliates including OB Beer and Doosan Corp., spending 30 years at the Doosan Group as a “Doosan man.” After the Doosan Group acquired Tesna, which operates a system semiconductor back-end testing business, in 2022, he was appointed Vice President and CEO (CFO) of Doosan Tesna. He was promoted to President in 2025. He is regarded as a leading financial expert within the Doosan Group. He was deeply involved in planning and investment decision-making during the group’s restructuring and core business reorganization process. He faces the task of improving the performance of Doosan Tesna, which has seen growth in scale over the past three years since joining the group, but whose profitability has continued to deteriorate.
- CEO of Woori Bank
  Jung Jin-wan
  
  Jung Jin-wan is the CEO of Woori Bank. He has set expanding the customer base as his top priority. He was born on November 17, 1968, in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from Pohang Steel High School and the Department of Law at Kyungpook National University. He began his career at Hanil Bank. At Woori Bank, which was launched through a merger with Commercial Bank, he served as Head of the SME Strategy Department, Head of the Head Office Sales Division, and Executive Vice President in charge of the SME Group. In 2025, he was appointed CEO of Woori Bank. He is the youngest CEO in the history of Woori Bank since privatization. He is regarded as a leading corporate finance expert, with strong capabilities in small and medium-sized enterprise banking. #JungJinwan #WooriBank #KoreanBanking #BankCEO #CorporateFinance #SMEBanking #FinancialLeadership #KoreaFinance #BankingExecutive #CustomerGrowth
  NEWS
  - • Factional Conflict at Woori Bank—Yim Jong-ryong Taps Jung Jin-wan to Lead Integration Era
- CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Solution
  Kim Sung-joon
  
  Kim Sung-joon is the CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Solution. He aims to transform the company into a global comprehensive marine solutions provider. He was born on June 5, 1970. He graduated from Jungdong High School in Seoul and the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Seoul National University. He earned a master’s degree in naval architecture and ocean engineering from Seoul National University’s graduate school and a Ph.D. in ocean engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. He worked as a consultant for 10 years at Bain & Company and Boston Consulting Group. His professional connection with Chung Ki-sun, Chairman of HD Hyundai, which began while working together at consulting firms, continued, and in 2016 he joined Hyundai Heavy Industries as Executive Vice President in charge of the Technology Planning and Quality Planning divisions. He served as Head of the Planning Division and Head of the Future Technology Research Institute at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and has served as CEO of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering since 2023. In October 2025, he was appointed CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Solution. He is leading technological and management innovation at HD Hyundai Group, which is solidifying the third-generation owner-led management system under Chung Ki-sun. He is regarded as a symbolic figure representing the group’s commitment to expanding future-oriented businesses. #HDHyundai #HDHyundaiMarineSolution #KimSungjoon #marineindustry #oceanengineering #shipbuilding #marinesolutions #technologyinnovation #corporateleadership #Koreabusiness
- CEO of Sphere Corporation
  Choi Kwang-soo
  
  Choi Kwang-soo is the CEO of Sphere Corporation. As a supplier of special alloys for aerospace launch vehicles, he is focusing on internalizing the supply chain for raw materials such as nickel. He was born on March 22, 1969. After graduating from the University of Houston with a degree in hotel management, he studied business administration at the University of St. Thomas in Texas. He completed an MBA program at the Graduate School of Business at the University of St. Thomas. He worked as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) business analyst at the U.S. IT company Institute of Advanced Technology. He served as marketing director at U.S.-based companies such as Persontel and Iesphere, and held the position of CEO at Enerage and Sphere Power USA. In Korea, he founded Sphere Korea (Sphere Corporation) in 2022. He has built strong human and material networks in the aerospace sector. He is known for his deep insight into global supply chain management. He has a strategic mindset that makes full use of capital markets. He is also actively involved in investment management. #ChoiKwangsoo #SphereCorporation #aerospace #launchvehicle #specialalloys #nickel #globalsupplychain #capitalmarkets #investmentmanagement #Koreaaerospace
- Vice Chairman and CEO of DL E&C
  Park Sang-shin
  
  Park Sang-shin is the CEO of DL E&C. He is focusing on strengthening safety management and improving operating profit to get through the downturn in the construction industry. He was born on April 6, 1962. He graduated from Daeheung High School in South Chungcheong Province and the Department of Business Administration at Korea University. After joining Samho, he served as head of housing sales and head of development projects, and later worked as head of the Management Innovation Division. In 2016, he was appointed Vice CEO at Korea Development. He was appointed head of the Housing Business Division and CEO of the Construction Business Division at Daelim Industrial, briefly moved to become CEO of Jinheung Enterprise, and then returned as CEO of DL E&C in 2024. In 2025, he was promoted to Vice Chairman and CEO of DL E&C. Throughout his career, he has been in charge of the housing business at construction affiliates of the DL Group. He led the renewal of the high-end apartment brand “ACRO.” He has been highly praised for his crisis management capabilities. #ParkSangshin #DLEnC #DLGroup #constructionindustry #safetymanagement #housingbusiness #ACRO #crisismanagement #KoreaCEO #businessprofile
  NEWS
  - • DL E&C Nears Hannam District 5 Contract in a Year, Park Sang-shin Focuses on Cost Efficiency in Housing Business
  - • DL E&C’s Strong Reserves and Order Book Fuel Park Sang-shin’s Profit Confidence
- Chairman and CEO of POSCO Holdings
  Chang In-hwa
  
  Jang In-hwa is the Chairman and CEO of POSCO Holdings. He has presented a vision to transform POSCO Group into a “world-class materials company” while achieving the goal of reaching a market capitalization of KRW 200 trillion (US$ 143.9 billion) by 2030. Based on the “2 Core + New Engine” strategy to reorganize the group’s business portfolio around steel, energy materials, and new businesses, he is focusing capabilities on restoring a clear competitive edge in the steel business and securing fundamental competitiveness and future technologies in the secondary battery business. To diversify POSCO Group’s businesses, he is weighing whether to acquire HMM, an ocean-going container shipping company, while also laying the groundwork for a second term as chairman by concentrating on securing safety across the group’s worksites. He was born on August 17, 1955, in Seoul. He graduated from Kyunggi High School in Seoul and the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Seoul National University. He earned a master’s degree in naval architecture from Seoul National University’s graduate school and a doctorate in ocean engineering from the University of Massachusetts. After joining POSCO, he served as Director of the Steel Structures Research Institute at the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST), Head of the New Business Office in the Growth Investment Division, Head of the New Business Management Office in the Financial Investment Division, and Head of the Steel Solution Marketing Office in the Steel Business Division, before working as Head of the Technology Investment Division and President of the Technical Research Laboratories. While serving as Head of the Steel Production Division, he was appointed CEO in 2018 and took charge of the steel business division. After being named a final candidate in the chairman selection process but failing to secure the post, he left the company, then returned in 2024 as Chairman and CEO of POSCO Holdings. Known as a benevolent, people-oriented leader who brings together internal members, he has built a decision-making structure that reflects management by listening to diverse opinions rather than issuing unilateral instructions. #JangInHwa #POSCOHoldings #POSCOGroup #SteelIndustry #SecondaryBattery #EnergyMaterials #KoreanBusinessLeader #CorporateStrategy #MarketCapitalization #WorldClassMaterialsCompany
  NEWS
  - • Chang In-hwa Sharpens POSCO Group’s Restructuring, Steel Competitiveness Gains Now Crucial
  - • POSCO Holdings Chairman Chang In-hwa: Finding a Breakthrough to Overcome a Challenging First Year
- CEO of Tomocube
  Park Yong-keun
  
  Park Yong-keun is the CEO of Tomocube. He developed the world’s first three-dimensional holotomography microscope and supplies it to leading research and medical institutions worldwide. He is focusing on discovering new businesses and on marketing to improve business performance. He was born on January 12, 1980. He graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University and earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He received a doctorate in medical science from the Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST). He was appointed as a professor in the Department of Physics at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). In 2015, he founded Tomocube, a bio-analysis equipment company, and served as its CTO, and the following year he founded The Wave Talk and worked as an advisor. Since March 2021, he has been a chaired professor at KAIST, and in 2022 he was appointed CEO of Tomocube. He targets high value-added upstream bio markets such as cell research, new drug development, and regenerative medicine. The company is also expanding its business scope as its technology gains attention as a next-generation non-destructive inspection tool for analyzing internal structures of materials used in high-precision industries such as semiconductors and displays. #ParkYong-keun #Tomocube #holotomography #3Dmicroscopy #biotechnology #cellresearch #drugdevelopment #regenerativemedicine #KAIST #MIT
- CEO and Vice President of LG HelloVision
  Song Gu-young
  
  Song Gu-young is CEO and Vice President of LG HelloVision. He is focusing on improving deteriorated profitability by fully implementing a strategy centered on new businesses, while at the same time pursuing cost control and structural improvement. He was born in June 1966. He graduated from Daejeon High School in Chungcheongnam-do and the Department of Business Administration at Yonsei University. He completed the MBA program at Yonsei University Graduate School of Business. He joined LG Uplus, where he served as Head of Gyeongnam Sales in the PM Business Division and later as Head of the Western Sales Group. He went on to serve as Head of the Sales Strategy Group and Head of the Home and Media Division. He led the task force for the acquisition of CJ Hello and played a central role in the acquisition of CJ Hello. In December 2019, he was appointed CEO of LG HelloVision. He has strong expertise in sales and strategy. He is known for having a gentle personality. #SongGuyoung #LGHelloVision #mediaindustry #telecom #newbusiness #corporatestrategy #salesleadership #businessprofile #Koreanceo #LGGroup

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