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

- CEO of Infobank
  Park Tai-hyung
  
  Park Tai-hyung is the President and CEO of Infobank. He is the founder of Infobank, a company specializing in enterprise mobile messaging services. He aims to transform Infobank into an "AI solutions" company. He was born on April 1, 1957, in Seoul. He graduated from Kyunggi High School in Seoul, earned a bachelor's degree in Energy Resources Engineering from Seoul National University, and received a master's degree in Industrial Engineering from the graduate school at Seoul National University. He also completed an MBA program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. He built his career as Senior Deputy Branch Manager at the Korea branch of Bankers Trust and founded Infobank independently in 1995, becoming its President and CEO. He was the first in Korea to develop SMS services that notify users of credit card approvals and bank deposits/withdrawals, as well as text voting services during live TV and radio broadcasts. #ParkTaihyung #Infobank #AIsolutions #mobilemessaging #Koreanentrepreneurs #techfounder #enterpriseIT #WhartonMBA #SNUalumni #Koreaninnovation
- CEO of Hanwha Aerospace
  Son Jae-il
  
  Son Jae-il is the CEO of Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems. He is leading the integration of Hanwha Group’s land, sea, and air defense businesses. He is focusing on securing defense export contracts and building local production facilities to expand global sales. He was born in Daegu on March 5, 1965. He graduated from Yeongjin High School in Daegu and majored in Business Administration at Korea University. He began his career at Korea Explosives (now Hanwha) and has since worked exclusively within the Hanwha Group. He served as Executive Director of Hanwha’s Explosives Division and Managing Director of Hanwha Techwin’s Defense Business Division before being appointed CEO of Hanwha Land Systems in 2017. In 2020, he became CEO of Hanwha Defense, the unit overseeing Hanwha Group’s entire defense business, solidifying his reputation as a defense industry expert. He was appointed CEO of Hanwha Aerospace in 2022 and CEO of Hanwha Systems in 2024. He also serves as President of the Korea Space Technology Promotion Association. #SonJaeil #HanwhaAerospace #HanwhaSystems #HanwhaGroup #defenseindustry #Koreandefense #spacetechnology #KoreanCEOs #armsintegration #defenseexports
  NEWS
  - • Hanwha Aerospace Set to Surpass KRW 1 Trillion in Operating Profit as CEO Son Jae-il Accelerates Defense Growth
- CEO of Shinhan Card
  Park Chang-hun
  
  Park Chang-hun is the President and CEO of Shinhan Card. He is focusing on transforming Shinhan Card into a platform company, with "change" and "innovation" as the key themes. He also faces the challenge of reclaiming the top spot in net profit in the card industry, a position that was lost after ten years. He was born on May 5, 1968. He graduated from Jinju High School in South Gyeongsang Province and studied Political Science and Diplomacy at Yonsei University. He joined LG Card and worked as Head of Sales Planning Team, among other roles. After Shinhan Card acquired LG Card, he held various positions at Shinhan Card including Head of Big Data Marketing Team, Head of Court 9 Task Force, Head of New Growth Division, Head of Life Business Division, Head of DNA Business Promotion Division (Executive Director), and Head of Payment Group (Executive Director). He was appointed as President of Shinhan Card in 2025. He is the second CEO to be promoted from within the company. He is the figure behind the "bold promotion" from executive director to CEO. Having worked in key departments related to digital and sales, he was chosen as the right person to lead the transformation into a platform company. He is regarded as a “new business expert” at Shinhan Card. With over 30 years of experience in the card industry, he possesses a deep understanding of the entire card business. #ShinhanCard #ParkChangHun #creditcardindustry #platformbusiness #digitaltransformation #KoreaFinance #CEOpromotion #YonseiUniversity #LGCard #KoreanCEOs
- President of the University of Ulsan
  Oh Yeon-cheon
  
  Oh Yeon-cheon is the President of the University of Ulsan. He is currently serving his third consecutive term, with his tenure set to run until February 2027. He is strengthening the university’s status as a glocal (global + local) institution and is focused on building a model for regional and industrial co-growth. He was born in 1951 in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do. He graduated from the Department of Political Science at Seoul National University. He earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in financial management from the graduate school of New York University in the United States. He briefly worked in public service after passing the 17th Higher Civil Service Examination, but returned to Korea after completing his studies in the U.S. and was appointed as a professor at Seoul National University. He served as Dean of the Graduate School of Public Administration and later as President of Seoul National University. He was also the first Chairman of the Board of Seoul National University after it became a national university corporation. He was a distinguished professor at Stanford University in the United States before being appointed President of the University of Ulsan. Externally, he served as Chair of the Policy Deliberation Committee at the Ministry of Information and Communication, Chairman of the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology under the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Chair of the Industrial Development Committee, and Chair of the Judicial Policy Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court. During his presidency at Seoul National University, he led the institution’s corporatization process. While he is widely respected as a scholar in the field of financial management, he has also been recognized as a university administration expert, having served as a university president for nearly 15 years. He was appointed the first three-term president in the history of the University of Ulsan, having led the university into the Glocal University 30 initiative and improved its performance in global university rankings, thereby significantly raising its status and capabilities. #OhYeoncheon #UniversityofUlsan #Koreanuniversity #glocaluniversity #SNU #financialmanagement #universitypresident #highereducation #Ulsan #Koreanscholar
- CEO of KSOE
  Kim Sung-joon
  
  Kim Sung-joon is the Vice President and CEO of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE). He is focusing on gaining a competitive edge in the future shipbuilding industry through orders for eco-friendly vessels and the development of autonomous navigation technologies. HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering is an intermediate holding company under the HD Hyundai Group. It has under its umbrella the three major shipbuilding companies: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Samho, and HD Hyundai Mipo. He was born on June 5, 1970. He graduated from Joongdong High School in Seoul and earned a bachelor's degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from Seoul National University. He also obtained a master's degree in the same field from Seoul National University Graduate School and a Ph.D. in Ocean Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. After serving as a partner at Boston Consulting Group in the United States, he joined Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2016 as an executive director in charge of technology planning and quality planning within the Planning Team. In 2018, he served as head of the Planning and Synergy Promotion Division at Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and later as head of the Future Technology Research Institute, before being promoted to Vice President and CEO of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering in 2023. He is regarded as a key figure to lead technological and managerial innovation within HD Hyundai Group, which is solidifying the third-generation ownership system under Chung Ki-sun. #KimSungjoon #HDKoreaShipbuilding #HDHyundaiGroup #shipbuildingindustry #autonomousships #greenenergy #MITalumni #futuretechnology #ChungKisun #SouthKoreaindustry
- CEO of AhnLab
  Kang Suk-kyoon
  
  Kang Suk-kyoon is the CEO of AhnLab. As the company marks its 30th anniversary, he is aiming to elevate it to a world-class enterprise. He was born on September 22, 1960. He graduated from the Department of English Language and Literature at Korea University and completed the MBA program at the Helsinki School of Economics in Finland. He worked as a senior executive at Accenture’s Financial Services Group before moving to Kolon Benit, where he served as managing director. He then joined IBM Korea, where he led the Financial Services Sales Division and later served as head of the Storage Business Division. He also led solution sales at Benit and was country manager of Informatica Korea before joining AhnLab in 2013. He served as Executive Vice President of the Business Division, then as Vice President of EP and EPN Business Units, before being appointed CEO and President in 2020. As a management expert with experience in key positions at domestic and international IT companies and global consulting firms, he has led AhnLab’s business diversification and global expansion. #KangSukkyoon #AhnLab #cybersecurity #KoreanIT #CEO #globalexpansion #businessdiversification #Accenture #IBM #KoreaUniversity
- Vice President of Hana Pharm
  Cho Dong-hoon
  
  Cho Dong-hoon is the Executive Vice President in charge of management at Hana Pharm. He is accelerating efforts to expand into the Southeast Asian market and secure a lineup of opioid analgesics. He was born on September 26, 1980, as the eldest son of Cho Kyung-il, the founder of Hana Pharm. He graduated from the Business Administration Department at the University of Hawaii in the United States and joined Hana Pharm in 2006. He worked in the Seoul General Hospital Sales Team and served as Head of the Management Division before being promoted to Executive Vice President in 2015. He gained experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors by working in various departments including sales, marketing, and planning. He is credited with contributing to the establishment of a stable revenue base for Hana Pharm. He is overseeing overall management and focusing on strengthening the company’s overseas business. #ChoDonghoon #HanaPharm #pharmaceuticals #biotech #SoutheastAsia #opioidanalgesics #KoreaPharma #executiveleadership #globalexpansion #businessstrategy
- CEO of Genians
  Lee Dong-bum
  
  Lee Dong-bum is the CEO of Genians. He is the founder of Genians, an information security software company. He is focusing on zero trust solutions and global market expansion. He was born on June 5, 1969. He graduated from the Department of Information Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University. Utilizing his major, he chose Doosan Information & Communications as his first job. After moving to AlloSystem Tech, he led the development of VPN (Virtual Private Network) solutions as the head of the research lab. Through this, he helped the company become the No.1 VPN provider in South Korea. After experiencing the challenges of expanding VPN solutions abroad, he established Genie Networks (now Genians) in 2005 with the goal of developing a new solution capable of global market success. He positioned the company as the top domestic provider of NAC (Network Access Control solutions) and EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response solutions). He served as the chairman of the Korea Information Security Industry Association (KISIA). #LeeDongbum #Genians #cybersecurity #VPN #NAC #EDR #KISIA #zeroTrust #informationSecurity #startupCEO
- President of Seoul Women’s University
  Lee Yoon-sun
  
  Lee Yoon-sun is the president of Seoul Women’s University. She took office on March 1, 2025. She aims to build a university that strengthens the foundation of education and research while fulfilling its social responsibilities. Born in 1969, she graduated from the Department of Educational Psychology at Seoul Women’s University. She earned a master’s degree in education from the graduate school of Seoul Women’s University and a doctorate in education from the University of Washington in the United States. In 2008, she was appointed as a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at her alma mater, Seoul Women’s University. She served in various key positions including Director of International Cooperation, Director of the Barom Character Education Research Center, Dean of Student Affairs, Secretary General, Director of Planning, and Head of the Data Innovation Office, before taking office as president of Seoul Women’s University in March 2025. Having held a wide range of major administrative roles, she has a deep understanding of university operations. Notably, just before becoming president, she led the Data Innovation Office directly under the president, where she established a data-based decision-making and management analysis system. Before joining Seoul Women’s University, she worked as an assessment director at the Washington State Department of Education in the United States and later served as a consultant for the ETS Achievement Test after becoming a professor. She served as Chair of the Education Services Committee and as Editor-in-Chief of the Korean Society for Business Education. She has proposed the key principles of university management as “a right university,” “an open university,” and “a strong university.” #LeeYoonSun #SeoulWomensUniversity #universitypresident #highereducation #datainnovation #educationleadership #ETSconsultant #WashingtonUniversity #charactereducation #universitymanagement
- CEO of Celltrion
  Seo Jin-seok
  
  Seo Jin-seok is the CEO of Celltrion in charge of overall management. He manages Celltrion as a co-CEO alongside Vice Chairmen Ki Woo-sung and Kim Hyoung-ki. He is the eldest son of Seo Jung-jin, Chairman of Celltrion and its founder. He was born on August 16, 1984. He graduated from the Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology at Seoul National University and received both his master’s and doctorate degrees from the Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology in Life Science Engineering at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). After joining the Celltrion Life Science Research Institute, he served as head of product planning at the Celltrion R&D Division and as Executive Vice President of Celltrion Skincure, before being appointed CEO of Celltrion Skincure in 2017. He returned to Celltrion as Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Product Development. After his father, Chairman Seo Jung-jin, announced his retirement from management, Seo Jin-seok stepped to the forefront by serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Celltrion, an inside director at Celltrion Healthcare Holdings, and an inside director at Exdati Therapeutics, a UK biotech company invested in by Celltrion. Following the 2023 merger of Celltrion and Celltrion Healthcare, he has been leading the company as co-CEO of Celltrion. Since his father, Chairman Seo Jung-jin, had long stated his intention to separate ownership and management and had drawn a line against succession of control, proving his management capability became the top priority. #SeoJinSeok #Celltrion #biotech #CEO #SeoJungJin #managementsuccession #KAIST #SNUalumni #CelltrionHealthcare #ExdatiTherapeutics

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