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

- Head of the Brand Strategy Office at CJ ENM
  Lee Kyung-hoo
  
  Lee Kyung-hoo is Head of the Brand Strategy Office at CJ ENM. She also serves concurrently as Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of the Music Content Division. She is positioned in the succession structure for management control of CJ Group alongside her younger brother, Lee Sun-ho, a management leader at CJ CheilJedang. She was born on January 18, 1985, as the eldest daughter of Lee Jae-hyun, Chairman of CJ Group. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in French literature and earned a master’s degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University Graduate School. She worked in the planning team at CJ Holdings, the broadcasting planning team under the Product Development Division at CJ O Shopping, and as head of the Integrated Marketing Team at CJ’s U.S. regional headquarters before moving to CJ ENM. There is speculation that she will take over the role of Lee Mi-kyung, Vice Chairwoman of CJ Group, who has been leading the group’s cultural business. She is known for being easygoing and unpretentious, as well as meticulous and proactive. #CJENM #LeeKyung-hoo #CJGroup #corporatesuccession #brandstrategy #musiccontent #ColumbiaUniversity #LeeJae-hyun #Koreanconglomerate #leadership
- Chairman and CEO of Ildong Pharmaceutical
  Yun Woong-sup
  
  Yun Woong-sup is Chairman and CEO of Ildong Pharmaceutical. He is focusing on developing new drugs with the goal of achieving annual revenue of KRW 1 trillion (US$ 719.4 million) and net profit of KRW 100 billion (US$ 71.9 million). He was born on July 7, 1967, in Seoul as the eldest son of Yoon Won-young, Chairman of Ildong Holdings. He graduated from Yeongdong High School in Seoul and the Department of Applied Statistics at Yonsei University. He received a master’s degree in accounting from Georgia State University in the United States. He worked as a reporter at The Korea Times’ Georgia bureau and later worked as an accountant at KPMG in the United States. He joined Ildong Pharmaceutical as a managing director and served as head of the PI Team, head of the Planning and Coordination Office, and vice president before being promoted to President and CEO of Ildong Pharmaceutical in 2014 under a co-CEO system. As Ildong Pharmaceutical shifted to a holding company system, he took on the role of CEO of Ildong Pharmaceutical and began third-generation management in earnest. When profitability worsened, he succeeded in turning the company back to profit within four years through bold restructuring. He is a U.S. citizen. #YunWoong-sup #IldongPharmaceutical #KoreanPharma #NewDrugDevelopment #ThirdGenerationLeadership #CorporateRestructuring #KoreaBusiness #PharmaceuticalIndustry #CEOProfile #IldongHoldings
- CEO of LG Uplus
  Hong Bum-sik
  
  Hong Bum-sik is the CEO of LG Uplus. He was born on February 21, 1968. He graduated from Yeouido High School in Seoul and earned a degree in business administration from the University of Southern California (USC). He completed the MBA program at Columbia Business School. After working at Monitor Group Korea, he served as head of the Business Strategy Office at SK Telecom and later worked as the Korea head of global consulting firm Oliver Wyman. He then moved to Bain & Company, where he served as head of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunications and Technology practice and as a global director at Bain & Company Korea. He joined LG Group as head of the Management Strategy Team and led the Management Strategy Division before being appointed CEO of LG Uplus in 2024. He is regarded as an expert in telecommunications technology and corporate strategy and is evaluated as a key appointment personally overseen by LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. In line with LG Group’s “ABC transformation” strategy, he is advancing the company’s core telecommunications business based on AI and accelerating expansion into new businesses such as AIDC, cloud, and generative AI, aiming to achieve monetization and restore operating profit to KRW 1 trillion (US$ 719.4 million) in 2026. With no confirmed evidence of a personal data breach, limiting the potential burden of fines and compensation, expectations for improved performance are rising, supported by increased AIDC revenue, growth in subscribers to the AI service “Ixi-O,” and subscriber gains stemming from hacking incidents at competitors. #HongBum-sik #LGUplus #LGGroup #AItransformation #Telecommunications #AIDC #Cloud #GenerativeAI #CorporateStrategy #KooKwang-mo
- President of Kyungpook National University
  Heo Young-woo
  
  Heo Young-woo is the President of Kyungpook National University. He has focused on restoring the weakened status of Kyungpook National University and laying the foundation for its sustainable growth. He was born in 1968. He graduated from the Department of Inorganic Materials Engineering at Kyungpook National University and earned a master’s degree in Inorganic Materials Engineering from the same university. He received a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida in the United States. After working as a researcher at LG Chem’s Advanced Materials Research Institute, he was appointed as a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Kyungpook National University. He served as Dean of the College of Engineering, Dean of the Graduate School of Industry, and Director of the Advanced Materials Research Institute at Kyungpook National University. In 2024, he was elected President of Kyungpook National University. He is the second president to be elected under the restored direct presidential election system. He served as President of the Korean Society for Transparent Oxide Semiconductor Research, Vice President of the Korean Vacuum Society, Vice President of the Korean Council of Engineering Deans, and Vice President of the Korean Sensors Society. #HeoYoungwoo #KyungpookNationalUniversity #KNU #MaterialsScience #UniversityPresident #KoreanEducation #LGchem #EngineeringLeadership #TransparentOxideSemiconductor #AcademicLeadership
- CEO of Sebang Global Battery
  Park Jeong-hee
  
  Park Jeong-hee is the CEO of Sebang Global Battery. He is accelerating the expansion of the company’s business into next-generation battery sectors, including lithium battery modules and packs, while strengthening the AGM battery business, a high value-added product line. He was born on June 18, 1962. He graduated from the Department of Chemistry at Hanyang University. He joined Yongsan Chemical and served as head of the production management team and plant manager before moving to Sebang Group. After serving as head of the production division at Sebang Industrial, he was appointed CEO of Sangshin Metal, an affiliate of Sebang Group, in 2019. He also concurrently served as CEO of production and sales at Sebang Industrial. He moved to Sebang Global Battery and took office as CEO in 2025. He is an expert in the chemical and manufacturing sectors. #SebangGlobalBattery #ParkJeonghee #AGMbattery #LithiumBattery #BatteryIndustry #NextGenerationBattery #ManufacturingExpert #SebangGroup #KoreanCEO #EnergyStorage
- CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Engine
  Yu Jeong-dae
  
  Yu Jeong-dae is the CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Engine. He has set a goal of leaping forward as an independent engine solutions company through the adoption of eco-friendly technologies and the optimization of production processes. Born in 1972, he graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University. He joined Hyundai Heavy Industries and mainly worked in departments related to engine machinery. He served as Executive Director in charge of engine design, Executive Director in charge of large engines and marine engine technology, Executive Director and Head of the Technology Division, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of the Engine Machinery Quality and Planning Division, and Senior Executive Vice President and Head of the Safety and Production Division. He was appointed CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Engine in the group’s year-end executive reshuffle in 2025. He is regarded as one of the group’s leading experts in engine design and production. After the acquisition, he is evaluated as the right person to move beyond the stabilization phase and lead full-scale growth. #HDHyundai #HDHyundaiMarineEngine #YuJeongdae #MarineEngine #EngineDesign #Shipbuilding #EcoFriendlyTechnology #ProductionOptimization #HeavyIndustry #KoreanCEO
- CEO of KB Securities
  Lee Hong-ku
  
  Lee Hong-ku is the CEO of KB Securities. He is responsible for the Wealth Management (WM) division under a co-CEO system alongside CEO Kang Jin-doo. He has focused on the individual brokerage market to improve performance and has shown strong interest in adopting artificial intelligence (AI). He was born on September 20, 1965. He graduated from Daegu Simin High School and majored in Business Administration at Korea University. He began his career at Hyundai Securities and later moved to Kyungnam Enterprises. He returned to the securities industry at KB Securities, where he served as Head of the PB Client Division and Head of the Gangnam Regional Headquarters. After KB Securities merged with Hyundai Securities, he led growth through the chemical integration of the Wealth Management (WM) division. After serving as Head of the WM Division, he was appointed CEO of KB Securities in 2024 and succeeded in securing a second term. #KBsecurities #LeeHongku #WealthManagement #BrokerageMarket #ArtificialIntelligence #KoreanFinance #InvestmentBanking #CorporateLeadership #FinancialServices #AssetManagement
- Chairman and CEO of Lotte Tour Development
  Kim Ki-byung
  
  Kim Ki-byung is the Chairman and CEO of Lotte Tour Development. He joined the Lotte family by marrying Shin Jung-hee, the youngest sister of Shin Kyuk-ho, the founder of Lotte Group, but he independently operates Lotte Tour Development and Dongwha Duty Free. He was born on March 22, 1938, in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province. He graduated from the Department of English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Korea University Graduate School of Business and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Administration. During the April 19 Revolution, he served as president of the student council at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and as chairman of the National University Students’ Order Restoration Committee. He began his career as an administrative officer at the Ministry of Home Affairs and later served as secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Jang Ki-young, who concurrently held the post of Minister of the Economic Planning Board (now the Ministry of Strategy and Finance). He also held positions including Director of the Trade Division at the Trade Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (now the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy), Director of the General Affairs Division and Spokesperson, and Director General of the Bureau of Industrial Policy. In 1971, he entered the tourism industry and founded Ajin Tourism (now Lotte Tour Development). He subsequently established Dongwha Duty Free, Dongwha Investment Development, and Dongwha Liquor. He also founded Mirim Academy (Mirim Girls’ High School) and serves as its chairman. Since 2021, he has been serving as chairman of the Korea-Japan Cooperation Committee. He experienced a crisis, including entering court receivership due to the collapse of the Yongsan Station Area Development Project, but he made a renewed challenge with the Jeju Dream Tower complex resort project and contributed to elevating Jeju into an Asian tourism hub. He is focusing on completing the second-generation succession, including gifting 6.1 million shares he owns to his second son, Kim Han-jun, CEO of Lotte Tour Development. #KimKiByung #LotteTourDevelopment #DongwhaDutyFree #JejuDreamTower #LotteGroup #KoreaTourism #BusinessLeadership #SecondGenerationSuccession #KoreaJapanCooperation #YongsanDevelopment
- Chairman and CEO of E1
  Koo Ja-yong
  
  Koo Ja-yong is the Chairman and CEO of E1. He is pushing for a major transformation into an eco-friendly and low-carbon energy company. He was born on March 27, 1955, as the second son of Koo Pyung-hwe, Honorary Chairman of E1. He is the younger brother of Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of LS, and the older brother of Koo Ja-kyun, Chairman of LS Group’s Industrial Electric & Automation Business Division. He graduated from Seoul High School and the Department of Trade at Korea University, and completed an MBA program at Chung-Ang University’s Graduate School of International Management. He joined LG Electronics and served as head of its Americas subsidiary and in charge of brand operations until 2000. Ahead of the separation of LS and LG Group affiliates, he moved to LS Caltex Gas as an executive director in 2001. After serving as Executive Vice President in charge of finance, he was appointed CEO and President in 2005. He became Vice Chairman in 2009 and Chairman in 2011. He also serves as Chairman and CEO of LS Networks, formerly International Commercial Company, which he personally led the acquisition of. LS Gas changed its name to E1 in 2004. The company is accelerating its entry into liquefied natural gas (LNG) and electrification businesses beyond its LPG-centered business structure. He is down-to-earth. He communicates openly and without formality with employees. #KooJa-yong #E1 #LSGroup #LPG #LNG #EnergyTransition #LowCarbon #Electrification #KoreanBusiness #CEO
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Fine Chemical
  Chung Seong- won
  
  Chung Seong-won is Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Fine Chemical. He is focusing on making a leap into the global top 10 by shifting the business portfolio toward high value-added specialty products. He was born on October 2, 1969. He graduated from Choongang High School affiliated with Chung-Ang University and earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from Yonsei University. He received a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Yonsei University Graduate School. He joined Honam Petrochemical, now Lotte Chemical, and worked in the Overseas New Business Team. He served as Executive Director of the LA Project Team, Executive Director in charge of New Business Teams 2 and 3, and Head of the New Business Division concurrently serving as Head of the Corporate Strategy Division. In 2021, he was appointed CEO for the first time at Lotte INEOS Chemical, and in 2024, he moved to Lotte Fine Chemical and was appointed CEO. As a strategy and planning expert who has worked for more than 30 years within Lotte Group, he led the establishment of mid- to long-term strategies for Lotte Group’s chemical division. In his first year in office, he led a rebound in performance. #ChungSeongwon #LotteFineChemical #LotteGroup #LotteChemical #SpecialtyChemicals #ChemicalIndustry #CorporateStrategy #CEOProfile #BusinessPortfolio #GlobalTop10

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