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

- CEO of Meritz Securities
  Kim Jong-min
  
  Kim Jong-min is CEO of Meritz Securities and President of the Group Investment Division at Meritz Financial Group. He leads Meritz Securities under a co-CEO system with Jang Won-jae, who is in charge of S&T and retail, while Kim oversees the corporate finance and management divisions. He is also speeding up the company’s business expansion into the debt capital market and the equity capital market. He was born on February 13, 1972. He graduated from Sogang University with a degree in economics and completed the graduate program at Sogang University’s business school. He joined Samsung Securities and worked as head of the FICC Products Team. He later moved to Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance, where he served as head of the Asset Management Office and was promoted to vice president of Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance. He also concurrently served as head of the Group Investment Division at Meritz Financial Group. After being promoted to president, he was appointed CEO of Meritz Securities in 2024. Having returned to the securities industry, he is producing results in diversifying the company’s business portfolio. #KimJongmin #MeritzSecurities #MeritzFinancialGroup #InvestmentBanking #CorporateFinance #DebtCapitalMarket #EquityCapitalMarket #FICC #AssetManagement #KoreaFinance
- President and CEO of Dongsuh
  Yoon Se-cheol
  
  Yoon Se-cheol is President and CEO of Dongsuh. He serves as co-CEO alongside Vice President Kim Jong-hee, a third-generation owner, and together they lead Dongsuh, the holding company of Dongsuh Foods. He was born on April 16, 1957. He graduated from Korea University with a degree in food engineering and completed an MBA course at the Helsinki School of Economics. He served as managing director of Dongsuh’s materials business division. He also worked as managing director of the management support division and executive vice president in charge of the management support division, and later served as senior vice president in charge of the management support division and senior vice president in charge of the purchasing, exports, and manufacturing divisions. In March 2025, he was promoted to president of Dongsuh and appointed CEO. During the transition to the era of third-generation owner management, he is focusing on solid internal management of the company while managing risks. The original text is clear overall. However, “헬싱키대학교 경영대학원” may refer to the Helsinki School of Economics or a business school affiliated with the University of Helsinki, so the exact English institutional name may need to be checked against the official school name. #Dongsuh #YoonSecheol #DongsuhFoods #KoreanBusiness #CEOProfile #FoodIndustry #CorporateLeadership #ManagementStrategy #KoreaUniversity #BusinessExecutive
- Chairman of Binggrae
  Kim Ho-youn
  
  Kim Ho-youn is the Chairman of Binggrae. After inheriting Binggrae when it was in a state of capital impairment, he separated it from the group and, through rigorous restructuring, grew it into one of Korea’s leading dairy and food companies. He is accelerating the process of third-generation management succession. He was born on April 29, 1955, as the second son of Kim Chong-hee, the founder of Hanwha Group. He is the younger brother of Kim Seung-youn, Chairman of Hanwha Group. He graduated from Kyunggi High School and the Department of Trade at Sogang University. He earned a master’s degree in economics from the graduate school of Hitotsubashi University in Japan and a master’s degree in diplomacy and national security from the Graduate School of Public Administration at Yonsei University. He also received a doctorate in business administration from Sogang University. After being appointed as a director at Korea Explosives (now Hanwha), he served as managing director of Hanyang Distribution and was appointed president of Hanyang Distribution in 1986. He became Chairman and CEO of Binggrae and led its independence from Hanwha Group. He later stepped down from the CEO position as he entered politics. He ran in a by-election for a National Assembly seat in Cheonan under the Grand National Party and was elected. He later ran for re-election but was defeated. He returned to the front lines of management as Chairman of Binggrae. He is the grandson-in-law of Kim Gu. #Binggrae #KimHoyoun #HanwhaGroup #KoreanBusiness #DairyIndustry #CorporateRestructuring #FamilyBusiness #KoreaPolitics #CEOLeadership #SuccessionStrategy
- Chairman and CEO of EO Technics
  Sung Kyu-dong
  
  Sung Kyu-dong is the Chairman and CEO of EO Technics. He was born on September 20, 1957, in Busan. He graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Seoul National University and earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the same university’s graduate school. He joined the Central Research Institute of GoldStar and later worked at the Technology Research Institute of Daewoo Heavy Industries and at Korea Laser. In 1989, he founded EO Technics, a laser specialist company, and advanced its business into the semiconductor back-end equipment sector. He has such strong pride in his technological capabilities that the company is called “a company that does not buy meals even when meeting Samsung” and a “super subcontractor.” Although it has outstanding technological capabilities, it is evaluated as lacking commitment to ESG and improvements in management systems. #EOtechnics #semiconductor #lasertechnology #SungKyuDong #KoreanCEO #semiconductorequipment #techleadership #manufacturing #ESG #corporategovernance
- CEO of Korea Electric Power Industry Development
  Ham Heung-gyu
  
  Ham Heung-gyu is the CEO of Korea Electric Power Industry Development. He is pushing to accelerate a shift in the company’s business structure toward future energy businesses such as renewable energy, while also expanding its existing power plant operation and management (O&M) business. He was born on January 10, 1960. He graduated from Kyung Hee University with a degree in law and received a master’s degree in public law from the graduate school’s department of law at Kyung Hee University. He joined the National Intelligence Service and worked there for nearly 30 years, serving in positions including inspector general and director of intelligence. He later served as an editorial writer for Tongil Sinmun and then became chairman of the Korea Social Education Promotion Institute. In Yoon Suk Yeol’s presidential campaign, he served as head of the National Intelligence Service division under the National Security Council (NSC) special committee, and after Yoon Suk Yeol was elected president, he worked as a specialist member of the presidential transition committee. In August 2023, he was appointed CEO of Korea Electric Power Industry Development. As a security and organizational management expert from the National Intelligence Service, he became head of a company in the energy sector and was swept up in controversy over a parachute appointment. The Korean original appears clear overall. One point to note is that “통일신문” was rendered as Tongil Sinmun because no official English publication name was provided in the source text. #HamHeung-gyu #KEPCOIndustrialDevelopment #energy #renewableenergy #powerplant #OM #NationalIntelligenceService #corporategovernance #SouthKorea #CEOprofile
- Chair of the Board of Socar
  Lee Jae-woong
  
  Lee Jae-woong is the chair of the board and COO of Socar. He returned to frontline management after six years and is putting weight behind strengthening the competitiveness of the car-sharing service and organizational innovation. He also appears likely to focus on new businesses, including building a new mobility ecosystem that combines data and AI along with autonomous driving. He was born in Incheon on October 22, 1968. He graduated from Seoul Yeongdong High School and Yonsei University’s Department of Computer Science, and earned a master’s degree in computer science from Yonsei University Graduate School. He completed the doctoral program in cognitive processes at Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris. He founded Daum Communications at the age of 26. He introduced Hanmail.net, the country’s first free email service, and launched the online cafe community Daum Cafe, building Daum Communications into a portal service company. After losing the No. 1 portal position to Naver and facing a crisis caused by weak subsidiaries, he stepped down as CEO 12 years after founding the company. After that, he focused on investing in startups in the sharing economy and media sectors. He founded Sopoong, a social venture incubating investment firm, and served as the managing partner of venture capital limited company SOQRI. In 2018, he became CEO of Socar and led innovation in the domestic mobility industry by launching the ride-hailing service Tada. After the so-called “Tada ban law” passed the National Assembly, he stepped away from frontline management. In 2026, he returned as chair of the board and COO of Socar. He is a leading first-generation venture entrepreneur and at one time ranked No. 1 among venture tycoons. He is close to Naver board chair Lee Hae-jin. #Socar #LeeJaewoong #KoreanStartup #DaumCommunications #Hanmail #DaumCafe #Tada #Mobility #CarSharing #AIMobility
- President and CEO of Dong-A ST
  Jeong Jae-hoon
  
  Jeong Jae-hoon is President and CEO of Dong-A ST. He was brought in as a relief pitcher to improve stagnant performance. He was born on November 3, 1971. He received a master's degree in health social pharmacy from Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy. He joined Dong-A Pharmaceutical and, after serving as head of the Operations Planning Team, worked as head of the Executive Secretary Office. He later moved to Dong-A Socio Holdings, where he served as head of the Ethics Management Office, and was appointed Vice President and CEO of Dong-A Socio Holdings in 2021. In 2024, he was appointed President and CEO of Dong-A ST. He is an internally promoted professional manager who was selected as part of efforts to discover young leadership that would drive change. He has strengths in sales strategy. #DongAST #JeongJaehoon #DongASocioHoldings #pharmaceuticals #Koreabio #CEOprofile #salesstrategy #healthsocialpharmacy #executiveleadership #corporatemanagement
- CEO of Handsome
  Kim Min-duk
  
  Kim Min-duk is the CEO of Handsome. He is focusing on raising the competitiveness of the company’s own brands, including “TIME” and “SYSTEM,” to a global level and expanding the portfolio by discovering overseas brands. He was born in June 1967. He graduated from Hanyang University with a degree in business administration. After joining Hyundai Department Store, he served as executive vice president in charge of management strategy at the Planning and Coordination Division and as chief financial officer (CFO). He moved to Handsome and, after serving as head of the Management Division and head of the Sales Division, was promoted to vice president in charge of management at the Management Support Division. In 2020, he was appointed CEO of Handsome. In 2025, he was reappointed for a fourth term. As a financial expert within Hyundai Department Store Group, he is working to transform the company into a “total lifestyle care company.” The original text is clear overall. One point to note is that “2025년 4연임됐다” could be read slightly awkwardly in Korean, but the meaning is understood as “he was reappointed for a fourth term in 2025.” #KimMinduk #Handsome #HyundaiDepartmentStoreGroup #TIME #SYSTEM #fashionbusiness #globalbrands #brandportfolio #CEOprofile #lifestylecare
  NEWS
  - • Handsome Struggles with Costly In-House Brands, Kim Min-duk Strengthens Profitability with "Two-Track" Strategy
- CEO of GM Korea
  Hector Villarreal
  
  Hector Villarreal is the CEO of GM Korea. A Mexican national, his full name is Hector Raul Villarreal Gonzalez. He is focusing on expanding investment in South Korea while securing annual production capacity of 500,000 vehicles. He was born in Mexico on September 18, 1967. He graduated from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) with a degree in mechanical engineering and received a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the same university’s graduate school. He joined General Motors' Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico and worked as a production project engineer before taking executive roles in planning and program management. He later joined GM Korea as Vice President of Planning and Program Management. After moving to become President of GM Uzbekistan, he served as a senior executive overseeing GM Russia, President of GM Southeast Asia, and Vice President of Sales, Service and Marketing for GM Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. He was appointed CEO of GM Korea in 2023. After taking office as CEO, he significantly increased GM Korea’s revenue and operating profit. #GMKorea #HectorVillarreal #GeneralMotors #KoreanAutomotiveIndustry #AutomotiveManufacturing #SouthKoreaInvestment #VehicleProduction #GlobalAutomaker #AutoIndustryLeadership #GMExecutive
  NEWS
  - • GM Korea's Exit Denial Rings Hollow Again
  - • 3 Years Left: All Eyes on Mary Barra, Chung Eui-sun, KDB
- Executive Vice President and Head of the Future Business Division at Nongshim
  Shin Sang-yeol
  
  Shin Sang-yeol is Executive Vice President and Head of the Future Business Division at Nongshim. He is strengthening the succession structure while focusing on fostering Nongshim’s future new business areas. He was born on November 2, 1993, as the eldest son of Shin Dong-won, Chairman of Nongshim Group, and the eldest grandson of Shin Chun-ho, the founder of Nongshim Group. He graduated from Columbia University in the United States with a degree in Industrial Engineering. He joined Nongshim as an entry-level employee in the Corporate Planning Team and later gained the title of executive as Managing Director and Head of the Purchasing Office. He was promoted to Senior Vice President and Head of the Future Business Division, and in 2025 was appointed CEO of Nongshim Holdings America. He was rapidly promoted to Executive Vice President just seven years after joining the company and was appointed as an internal director of Nongshim in 2026. #Nongshim #ShinSangyeol #KoreaBusiness #Succession #FoodIndustry #CorporateLeadership #NextGeneration #FamilyBusiness #GlobalExpansion #ExecutiveProfile

Types of Companies