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

- President and CEO of GS Global
  Kim Sung-won
  
  Kim Sung-won is president and CEO of GS Global. He is focusing on transforming GS Global from a trading company into a “total solution provider.” He is also interested in targeting the U.S. energy and infrastructure markets, as well as food and solar panel recycling businesses. He was born in Busan on March 13, 1970. He graduated from Baejeong High School in Busan and Seoul National University’s College of Law with a degree in public law. After passing the higher civil service examination, he entered public service as a deputy director at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the predecessor of the current industry ministry, and worked as an industry ministry official for 15 years. He joined the private sector as a team leader in POSCO’s Corporate Planning Office. He subsequently moved to Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, where he served as vice president of power generation sales, senior vice president overseeing domestic marketing, and executive vice president in the Marketing Division. After joining GS Group as head of GS Energy’s Energy Resources Business Division, he was appointed CEO of GS E&R in 2025. He was selected as CEO of GS Global in 2026. #KimSungWon #GSGlobal #PresidentAndCEO #TotalSolutionProvider #EnergyIndustry #PowerGeneration #USEnergyMarket #Infrastructure #FoodBusiness #SolarPanelRecycling
- President and CEO of LS MnM
  Koo Dong-Whi
  
  Koo Dong-Whi is president and CEO of LS MnM. He was born on September 28, 1982, as the second of three children—one son and two daughters—of Koo Ja-yeol, chairman of the board of LS. He graduated from Gujeong High School (now Apgujeong High School) in Seoul and Centenary University in the United States. He began his career in the Investment Banking Division of Woori Investment & Securities. He joined LS Group as a deputy general manager in the Corporate Strategy Office of LS Industrial Systems (now LS ELECTRIC). He subsequently worked on the production planning team at its Cheongju plant. He served as head of the Domestic Power Business Division with the rank of executive director and as head of the Industrial Automation Business Division in China with the rank of senior vice president. After serving as head of LS’s Value Management Division, he was promoted to executive vice president and moved to E1, where he served as chief operating officer and head of the Support Division before being appointed CEO in 2021. He returned to LS ELECTRIC as senior executive vice president in charge of vision management before becoming CEO. He moved to LS MnM, where he served as senior executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) before being appointed CEO. He also serves concurrently as an inside director of E1 and LS Networks. He is focused on strengthening the competitiveness of the existing smelting business and establishing the battery materials business. #KooDongWhi #LSMnM #LSGroup #CEO #ExecutiveBiography #LSELECTRIC #E1 #CopperSmelting #BatteryMaterials #BusinessLeadership
- CEO of Xi S&D
  Koo Bon-sam
  
  Koo Bon-sam is CEO of Xi S&D. He was born in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on October 20, 1968. He graduated from Daegu High School and Korea University with a degree in business administration. He joined GS E&C and served as head of its Management Innovation Team and as senior manager responsible for its environmental business. He oversaw supply chain management, purchasing and procurement as managing director in charge of purchasing and head of the Procurement Division. He was appointed CEO of Xi S&D in 2025. Within a year of taking office, he lowered the cost-of-sales ratio by 4 percentage points from the previous year. He emphasizes selective order-taking and quality competitiveness over expansion in scale. He is focusing on identifying new businesses, including data centers and senior care.
- CEO of H&L Advanced
  Cho Nam-soo
  
  Cho Nam-soo is CEO of H&L Advanced. As HD Hyundai’s representative at its joint venture with OCI, he is expected to focus on restoring the performance of the company launched as the first petrochemical business restructuring project. He was born on July 22, 1970. He graduated from Sogang University with a degree in chemical engineering and earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology). He joined Hyundai Oil Refinery, now HD Hyundai Oilbank, where he worked in catalyst research and planning. He worked as an executive in charge of production planning at Hyundai Chemical, now H&L Advanced, a joint venture between HD Hyundai Oilbank and Lotte Chemical. In 2023, he was appointed CEO of HD Hyundai OCI, a joint venture between HD Hyundai Oilbank and OCI. He returned to HD Hyundai Chemical to lead its Management Innovation Task Force and has served as CEO since November 2025. In September 2026, he was appointed CEO of H&L Advanced, the company renamed after HD Hyundai Chemical absorbed Lotte Daesan Petrochemical. He leads the company alongside fellow CEO Chun Yang-sik, who represents Lotte Chemical.
- Chairman of Kwangwoon Foundation (Kwangwoon University)
  Cho Sun-young
  
  Cho Sun-young is chairman of Kwangwoon Foundation, the educational foundation that operates Kwangwoon University. She was born in 1978 as the eldest daughter of former Kwangwoon Foundation chairman Cho Mu-sung. She is a granddaughter of former chairman Cho Kwang-woon, the founder of Kwangwoon Foundation and Kwangwoon University. She graduated from Crossroads High School in the United States and Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in economics and business administration. She earned a master's degree in policy economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed doctoral coursework in organization theory at Yonsei University's Graduate School of Business. She worked at Yonsei University's Institute of Business Research before joining KPMG. She joined Kwangwoon Foundation as deputy head of its policy office and subsequently served as an executive director. She became chairman in 2018 after former chairman Shin Cheol-sik resigned before completing his term. #ChoSunYoung #KwangwoonFoundation #KwangwoonUniversity #FoundationChairman #EducationLeadership #CarnegieMellonUniversity #UniversityOfIllinois #YonseiUniversity #KPMG #ThirdGenerationLeadership
- Chairman of the Board, Dankook University Foundation
  Chang Ho-sung
  
  Chang Ho-sung is chairman of the board of the Dankook University Foundation, which operates Dankook University. With the university approaching its 80th anniversary, he is focusing on AI transformation (AX) across education, research and administration. He was born in Seoul on March 28, 1955, to Chang Chung-sik, former chairman of the Dankook University Foundation. He graduated from Kyunggi High School in Seoul and Sogang University with a degree in electronic engineering. He earned master's and doctoral degrees in electronic engineering from Oregon State University in the United States. He worked as a professor in the Division of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Hanyang University. After moving to Dankook University, he served as vice president for planning and vice president of the Cheonan Campus before becoming president in 2008. He became chairman of the Dankook University Foundation in 2020. With a strong interest in university sports, he has served as head of the Korean delegation to the Universiade and chairman of the Korea University Sports Board. He also served as president of the Korean Council for University Education.
- President of the National Health Insurance Service
  Kang Cheong-hee
  
  Kang Cheong-hee is president of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Kang is working to ensure the sustainability of the health insurance system, which has moved into deficit, by preventing financial leakage and reforming the medical fee reimbursement system. Kang was born in Seoul on June 29, 1964. Kang graduated from Daeshin High School in Seoul and Yonsei University’s Wonju College of Medicine, and earned a master’s degree in medicine, specializing in thoracic surgery, from Yonsei University’s graduate school. After serving as medical director and head of thoracic surgery at Hyemin Hospital, Kang opened Yonsei Seoul Clinic in 2004. Kang served as executive director for general affairs and full-time vice president of the Korean Medical Association, director of the Giheung District Public Health Center in Yongin, executive director for benefits at the NHIS, and president of the Korea Public Tissue Bank. Kang entered politics in December 2023 as a recruit of the Democratic Party of Korea. Kang ran in Seoul’s Gangnam B constituency in the 22nd National Assembly election in 2024 but was defeated. In July 2026, Kang was appointed the first NHIS president under the Lee Jae-myung administration. A thoracic surgeon by training, Kang is a healthcare expert whose experience spans medical associations, the health insurer, local public health administration and party politics.
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Hansae Yes24 Holdings
  Kim Suk-hwan
  
  Kim Suk-hwan is vice chairman and CEO of Hansae Yes24 Holdings. He also serves as vice chairman and one of the CEOs of YES24, each with independent representative authority. He is laying the groundwork for further growth by actively pursuing acquisitions to diversify the group's businesses across fashion, education, culture and mobility. He was born on July 8, 1974, as the eldest son of Kim Dong-nyung, founding chairman of Hansae Yes24. He graduated from Hanyoung Foreign Language High School and George Washington University in the United States with a degree in business administration, and earned a master's degree in information engineering from its graduate school. He joined his father's company, YES24, as a director overseeing the entertainment (ENT) business and became CEO in 2017. Since becoming CEO of the holding company, Hansae Yes24 Holdings, he has overseen the group's future growth strategy.
- CEO of CJ Freshway and CJ Foodville
  Lee Geon-il
  
  Lee Geon-il is CEO of CJ Freshway. He also serves as CEO of CJ Foodville. He is focusing on the online-to-offline (O2O) transformation of the food distribution business and expansion of the new “kitchen-less” business. He is also leading CJ Foodville’s expansion in North America, centered on Tous les Jours. He was born on September 7, 1970. He graduated from Daewon Foreign Language High School and Yonsei University with a degree in food and biotechnology. He joined CJ CheilJedang through open recruitment and worked in CJ CheilJedang’s Strategic Planning Division. He served as head of Business 1 at CJ’s Business Team and head of the A Twosome Place Division at CJ Foodville. He served as CEO of CJ Foods USA, the U.S. subsidiary of CJ CheilJedang, overseeing its North American market strategy. After serving as head of the Management Support Office of CJ CheilJedang’s Food Business, head of CJ’s Business Management Office 1 and head of CJ Corp.’s Management Innovation Task Force, he was appointed CEO of CJ Freshway in 2024. He has also served as CEO of CJ Foodville since November 2025. He is a CJ Group food expert with broad experience across the food and foodservice businesses.
- Chairman of the School Board, Dongduk Women’s University
  Cho Won-young
  
  Biography Cho Won-young is chairman of the Dongduk Women’s Educational Foundation, which operates Dongduk Women’s University. He was born in Seoul on October 17, 1949, to Cho Yong-gak, former chairman of the Dongduk Educational Foundation, and Lee Eun-ju, a former board director. He graduated from Gyeongbok High School in Seoul and earned a degree in business administration from Yonsei University. He joined Dongduk Women’s University as a professor and served as head of its planning office. After serving as vice president, he became president in 1996. He stepped down as president in 2003 amid allegations of embezzlement and falsified academic credentials. He has chaired the Dongduk Women’s Educational Foundation since 2015. He also served as secretary-general of the Korean Association of University Presidents.

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