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

- Chairman of Paradise Group
  Chun Phillip
  
  Chun Phillip is the Chairman of Paradise Group. He is focusing the group’s capabilities on the grand opening of the flagship hotel in Jangchung-dong, Seoul, scheduled for 2028. He was born on November 10, 1961, as the eldest son of Chun Rak-won, the founder and honorary chairman of Paradise Group. He dropped out of the Department of Business Administration at Chung-Ang University and graduated from the Department of Music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, the United States. After being involved in a traffic accident, he joined Kukdong Sprinkler, the predecessor of Paradise Industry, in 1992. After moving to a position as a director at Paradise Investment Development, the predecessor of Paradise, he was promoted to Vice Chairman and CEO of Paradise in 1997 when Paradise Investment Development changed its name to Paradise. He was appointed Chairman and CEO of Paradise in 2005, but stepped down from the CEO position in 2006. He is evaluated as having elevated the company’s business to the next level by successfully developing Paradise City, a new concept integrated resort that combines the core casino business, the growth industry of hotels, and art and MICE. He is a devout church member. During his university years, he played drums in a band and participated in the production of albums for popular singers. He is actively involved in supporting the cultural and arts sector. #ParadiseGroup #ChunPhillip #KoreaBusiness #IntegratedResort #ParadiseCity #CasinoIndustry #HotelBusiness #MICEIndustry #CulturalSupport #KoreanEntrepreneur
  NEWS
  - • Philip Cheon, from Casino Prince to CEO of Major Corporation
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Daewoong
  Yoon Jae-chun
  
  Yoon Jae-chun is Vice Chairman and CEO of Daewoong, the holding company of Daewoong Group. He is focusing on fostering the company into a “global healthcare leader” by achieving KRW 1 trillion (US$ 0.7 billion) in new drug sales by 2030. He was born on October 15, 1959, in Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do. He graduated from Yaro High School in Hapcheon and the Department of Business Administration at Keimyung College. He also graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Seoul Digital University. He joined Daewoong Pharmaceutical and served as Head of the Plant Management Center, Head of the Healthcare Business Division, and Head of the Management Support Division, before being appointed CEO of DN Company (DNC), an affiliate of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, in 2011. He served as a director of Daewoong and as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, and was appointed Co-CEO and Vice President of Daewoong in March 2015. He concurrently served as Co-CEO of subsidiary HanAll Biopharma and CEO and President of Daewoong Pharmaceutical. In 2022, he was promoted to Vice Chairman of Daewoong. As a close aide who had supported Chairman Yoon Jae-seung from his side, he has been leading the company after Chairman Yoon stepped down from management amid an abuse-of-power controversy. #Daewoong #YoonJaechun #biopharma #healthcare #leadership #CEO #KoreaBusiness #pharmaceuticals #corporategovernance #globalstrategy
- candidate for CEO of KT
  Park Yun-yeong
  
  Park Yun-yeong is a candidate for CEO of KT. He was born on April 18, 1962 (lunar calendar). He graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering at Seoul National University. He received a master's degree and a doctoral degree in civil engineering from the Graduate School of Seoul National University. After joining Korea Telecom, he worked as head of the KT Convergence Research Institute, head of the Future Business Development Group at the Institute of Convergence Technology, head of the Future Business Development Division at the Future Convergence Business Promotion Office, head of the Corporate Business Consulting Headquarters, head of the Corporate Business Division, and head of the Enterprise Group. In 2025, he was selected as a candidate for CEO of KT. He will officially take office after becoming an inside director through the regular shareholders' meeting on March 31, 2026. He is known as a "true KT man" who has worked only at KT for more than 30 years. He is known for having quiet and gentle leadership. He is also evaluated as having a creative and challenging personality. He is facing the top-priority tasks of handling the hacking and unauthorized payment incidents, preventing a recurrence, and restoring the trust of subscribers and the organization. He is in a situation where he must strengthen the competitiveness of the core telecommunications business, speed up the transition to artificial intelligence (AI), and reform corporate governance. #KT #ParkYunyeong #CEOcandidate #telecommunications #AItransformation #corporategovernance #cybersecurity #unauthorizedpayments #leadership #KoreaTelecom
- President of Ewha Womans University
  Lee Hyang-sook
  
  Lee Hyang-sook is the President of Ewha Womans University. She was born in Seoul on October 22, 1963. She graduated from Seoul Seomun Girls' High School and the Department of Mathematics at Ewha Womans University. She received a master's degree in mathematics from the Graduate School of Ewha Womans University and a doctorate in mathematics from the Graduate School of Northwestern University in the United States. She was appointed as a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Ewha Womans University and served as head of the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Vice President for Research, head of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, and head of the Entrepreneurship Center. She was elected president in 2025. She is the first president from a science and engineering background in the history of Ewha Womans University. After taking office, she presented five strategic goals, including creating a world-class research environment, making a major transformation in higher education to prepare for the AI era, securing finances and innovating administrative systems for sustainable development, and enhancing the value of the Ewha brand and its global standing. She served as vice president of the Korea Institute of Information Security and Cryptology, women president of the Korean Mathematical Society, and president of the Federation of Korean Mathematical Societies. She is considered one of the leading female scientists in the field of cryptography. #LeeHyangsook #EwhaWomansUniversity #Ewha #universitypresident #mathematics #cryptography #AIeducation #highereducation #womeninscience #SouthKorea
- President and Chief Executive Officer of LG H&H
  Lee Sun-joo
  
  Lee Sun-joo is the President and Chief Executive Officer of LG H&H. As the new leader, she is expected to focus on reorganizing business strategy to end losses and renewing the organizational atmosphere. She was born in December 1970. She graduated from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Ewha Womans University. She began her career in the public relations office of Hankook Cosmetics. She later moved to L'Oréal Korea, where she served as Executive Managing Director and head of a business division. After serving as SVP (Senior Vice President) for International Business Development at Kiehl's under L'Oréal USA and as Vice President of L'Oréal Korea, she moved to L&P Cosmetic, which grew through the brand Mediheal, as President of its Global Strategy Division. She was appointed head of Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing Korea and Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary Carver Korea, and most recently worked as Chief Executive Officer of Terarosa Coffee. In October 2025, she was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of LG H&H. Note: In the original text, “이선주Lee Sun-joo는” appears without a space between the Korean name and the English name, which looks like a typo. #LeeSun-joo #LGHH #LGHouseholdHealthCare #beautyindustry #Kbeauty #LOréal #Mediheal #Unilever #CarverKorea #TerarosaCoffee
- CEO of HanAll Biopharma
  Jung Seung-won
  
  Jung Seung-won is the CEO of HanAll Biopharma. He was born on December 22, 1971. He graduated from Yonsei University College of Medicine and completed an MBA program at the MIT Sloan School of Management in the United States. After working as a consultant at Bain & Company, he moved to Novartis, where he worked as Marketing Manager of the Infectious Diseases Division, Executive Director of the Neuroscience Division at Novartis Korea, and Global Program Director in the Global Strategic Marketing Department. He also served as Executive Director of Marketing for the Neuroscience Division in Japan and as New Drug Director of the Neuroscience Division at Novartis. At UCB Pharma, headquartered in Belgium, he oversaw the osteoporosis business for Japan and China. After serving as Head of HanAll Biopharma’s U.S. subsidiary (HPI) in 2020, he was appointed Co-CEO of HanAll Biopharma in March 2021. As a former doctor, he is a biotechnology expert who was responsible for clinical development and business strategy for 12 years at global big pharma company Novartis. He is working to accelerate global clinical development of new biopharmaceuticals such as HL036, a treatment for dry eye disease, and HL161, an antibody treatment for autoimmune diseases, while also seeking to secure new pipelines by strengthening cooperation with multinational pharmaceutical companies. #HanAllBiopharma #JungSeungwon #biopharma #Novartis #UCBPharma #HL036 #HL161 #clinicaldevelopment #biotechnology #pharmaceuticals
- CEO of Shell Korea Limited
  Lee Seung-bong
  
  Lee Seung-bong is CEO of Shell Korea Limited. He is focusing the company's capabilities on high value-added premium lubricants product lines. He is also concentrating on a high-dividend policy to enhance shareholder value and on strengthening ESG management. He was born on November 30, 1966. He graduated from Korea University's Department of Business Administration and joined Shell Korea Limited. He became CEO after serving as marketing manager, head of the direct sales and distributor sales division, and head of the direct sales division. He is a field-oriented lubricants expert who has worked at Shell Korea Limited for more than 30 years. He also serves as Country Chair of Shell Korea, an affiliate of Shell Korea Limited. The original text is clear overall, but "이승봉Lee Seung-bong" appears to be missing a space between the Korean and English names. #LeeSeungbong #ShellKorea #lubricants #premiumlubricants #ESG #shareholdervalue #highdividend #KoreaUniversity #energyindustry #CEO
- Co-CEO of Lotte Biologics
  Shin Yu-yeol
  
  Shin Yu-yeol is a co-CEO and Vice President of Lotte Biologics. He also serves as Head of the Future Growth Office at Lotte Corporation. As the son of Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, he is the management successor who will lead Lotte Group. He has been tasked with discovering new growth engines for Lotte Group, with a focus on future businesses. He was born on March 30, 1986, when Chairman Shin Dong-bin was working at Nomura Securities' London branch. He is a Japanese national, and his Japanese name is Shigemitsu Satoshi. He attended the elementary, middle, and high school divisions of Aoyama Gakuin, a private school in Japan, and graduated from the Department of Environmental Information in the Faculty of Commerce at Keio University in Japan. He completed an MBA program at Columbia Business School in the United States. He began his professional career at Nomura Securities in Japan. In 2020, he joined Lotte Japan as Head of the Sales Division and began his management training. In 2008, he was appointed CEO of Lotte Strategic Investment (LSI), the largest shareholder of Lotte Financial. He later served as CEO of Lotte Financial. He served as Managing Director of the Tokyo branch for basic materials at Lotte Chemical Japan, Head of the Future Growth Office at Lotte Corporation, and Executive Director and Head of the Global Strategy Office at Lotte Biologics. From this point, he began to expand his presence in Korea's Lotte Group in earnest. He was appointed as an inside director of Lotte Holdings Japan and was promoted to Vice President at Lotte Corporation and Lotte Biologics. In November 2025, he was appointed CEO of Lotte Biologics. Having lived almost entirely in Japan until he turned 40, he does not speak Korean fluently, but he is able to communicate. After turning 38, he was exempted from mandatory military service, and speculation is widespread that he will soon acquire South Korean nationality. The original text may need clarification in this part: “In 2008, he was appointed CEO of Lotte Strategic Investment (LSI)…” Given the surrounding timeline, the year may be a typo or may require fact-checking in the source text. #ShinYu-yeol #LotteBiologics #LotteGroup #ShinDong-bin #LotteCorporation #futuregrowth #managementsuccessor #JapanKorea #biopharma #corporateleadership
- President of Jeonbuk National University
  Yang O-bong
  
  Yang O-bong is the president of Jeonbuk National University. He is focusing on turning Jeonbuk National University into a global hub university and a flagship university. In response to government policy, he is working to drive the regional economy by building research and development and demonstration infrastructure for Physical AI and digital transformation. He was born in Namwon, North Jeolla, in 1962. He graduated from Jeonju High School and Korea University’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and received his master’s degree and doctorate in chemical engineering from KAIST. After working at Hanwha Energy and the Pohang Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, he joined Jeonbuk National University in 1995 as a professor in the School of Chemical Engineering. After serving as head of the Advanced Human Resources Training Project Group for Silicon-Based Solar Cells and director of the Solar Energy Research Center, he was elected president in 2023 through a direct election. He served as chair of the Planning Committee for the Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Sector at the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, president of the Korean Society for Photovoltaic Engineering, and chair of the National Support Committee of Jeonbuk State. He is a chemical engineer who researches renewable energy, solar cell materials and devices, and energy storage materials. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. He served as the inaugural chair of the council of universities selected for the Glocal University project, which was the biggest issue in the higher education sector. He served as president of the Korean Council for University Education. #YangObong #JeonbukNationalUniversity #universitypresident #GlocalUniversity #PhysicalAI #digitaltransformation #renewableenergy #solarcell #chemicalengineering #highereducation
- CEO of CJ CheilJedang
  Yoon Seok-hwan
  
  Yoon Seok-hwan is CEO of CJ CheilJedang. He is working to improve the company's fundamentals after it posted its first annual net loss. He was born on January 3, 1969. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in food engineering and received a master's degree in food engineering from Seoul National University Graduate School. He completed an MBA program in international business at the Thunderbird Graduate School of Management in the United States. He worked as a researcher at Nongshim's Technology Development Research Institute before joining CJ CheilJedang's bio business division. He served as head of the Piracicaba plant and head of the Brazil business in the bio business division, and as head of global marketing, and worked as head of the overseas integrated PI TF and head of the South America business and CEO of Selecta Corp. in the bio business division. After serving as head of the BIO Technology Research Institute and head of the Protein Solution business division, he became head of the bio business division. He was appointed CEO in November 2025. He is considered a "bio expert" within CJ Group. He is credited with playing a key role in growing the bio business into an operation with annual sales of KRW 4.0 trillion (US$ 2.9 billion). The Korean original appears to contain a typo or unclear notation in “삐라시까바공장장ᐧ브라질사업담당.” I translated this as “head of the Piracicaba plant and head of the Brazil business,” but “ᐧ” looks like an unusual separator in the source text. #CJCheilJedang #YoonSeokhwan #CJBio #biobusiness #foodengineering #KoreanCEO #corporateleadership #businessturnaround #ProteinSolution #CJGroup

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