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

- Chairman and CEO of HDC
  Chung Kyung-ku
  
  Chung Mong-gyu is the Chairman and CEO of HDC. He leads HDC, the holding company of HDC Group, under a co-CEO system with President Kim Hoe-eon. He is focusing on diversifying the group’s business portfolio beyond its construction-centered structure. Key tasks include transforming the company into a comprehensive finance and real estate group based on real estate development and restoring trust in the housing business through the reconstruction of the Hwajeong I-Park apartment complex in Gwangju (Gwangju Centennial I-Park). He was born on January 14, 1962, in Seoul as the only son of Chung Se-yong, Honorary Chairman of Hyundai Development Company. He graduated from Yongsan High School in Seoul and the Department of Business Administration at Korea University, and received a master’s degree in politics from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. He was rapidly promoted at Hyundai Motor Company and eventually became Chairman of Hyundai Motor. After the management control of Hyundai Motor passed to his cousin Chung Mong-koo, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, he moved to HDC Hyundai Development Company with his father, Chairman Chung Se-yong. In 1999, he separated HDC Hyundai Development Company from Hyundai Group and established HDC Group. He actively pursued mergers and acquisitions to expand the group’s business scope into petrochemicals, information technology (IT), retail, and musical instrument manufacturing. He is known for an outwardly gentle but inwardly strong leadership style and tends to value practical benefits over formal justification. He is serving his fourth term as President of the Korea Football Association and is nicknamed the “chameleon.”
  NEWS
  - • HDC Hyundai Development Nears Seoul One Sellout, Chung Kyung-ku Targets Top Profitability
- CEO of Jin Air
  Park Byeong-ryul
  
  Park Byeong-ryul is Vice Chairman and CEO of Jin Air. He is focusing on achieving a “chemical integration” with the goal of launching an integrated low-cost carrier (LCC) in 2027. He was born on January 25, 1964. He graduated from Ulsan Hakseong High School and earned a degree in German Language and Literature from Seoul National University. He joined Korean Air and worked in the Passenger Strategy Development Department and the Executive Secretariat Team. He later served as Seattle Branch Manager, Executive Vice President of the Los Angeles Passenger Branch, Head of the Revenue Management Division, and Head of the Europe Regional Headquarters. While serving as Executive Vice President in charge of Pricing & RM, he was appointed CEO of Jin Air in 2022. Through efficient route operations and cost reductions, he significantly improved profitability, breaking the operating and net loss structure that had continued since 2019 and achieving the company’s highest profit since its founding in 2023. He is also mentioned as a candidate to become the first CEO of the integrated Jin Air scheduled to launch in early 2027. #JinAir #ParkByeongRyul #LowCostCarrier #AviationIndustry #KoreanAir #AirlineStrategy #AirlineIntegration #RevenueManagement #LCCMarket #AirlineLeadership
- Chairman of Aekyung Group
  Chang Young-shin
  
  Chang Young-shin is the Chairman of Aekyung Group. She is known as the “first female CEO in Korea.” After living as an ordinary housewife, she rose to the position of CEO and grew Aekyung, which had been a soap and detergent company, into a mid-sized conglomerate with about 30 affiliates at home and abroad in sectors such as distribution, aviation, real estate, and hotels, generating annual revenue of about KRW 5.0 trillion (US$ 3.6 billion) as of 2024. She was born in Seoul on July 22, 1936. She graduated from Kyunggi Girls’ High School and studied chemistry at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, the United States. Following the sudden death of her husband Chae Mong-in, the founder of Aekyung Oil & Fat, she became CEO of Aekyung Oil & Fat Industrial in 1972. After expanding the company while serving as CEO of Samkyung Chemical, Aekyung Chemical, Aekyung Shell, and Aekyung Industrial, she was appointed CEO of Aekyung Industrial and Chairman of Aekyung Group in 1985. In 2004, the 50th anniversary of the group’s founding, she handed over management control to her eldest son Chae Hyung-seok, Vice Chairman in charge of overall operations. In January 2026, she completed the management succession by selling AK Holdings to Aekyung Asset Management. She served as the first Chairman of the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association, Vice Chairman of the Korea Management Association, Vice Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, and Vice Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association. She served as a member of the 16th National Assembly (Seoul Guro-eul) representing the Millennium Democratic Party. She was inducted into the first Women Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame of the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association. #AekyungGroup #ChangYoungshin #KoreanBusinessWomen #FemaleCEO #KoreanConglomerates #AviationIndustry #RetailIndustry #CorporateSuccession #WomenEntrepreneurs #KoreaBusinessHistory
- CEO of KB Capital
  Bin Jung-ill
  
  Bin Jung-ill is the CEO of KB Capital. He is working to reorganize KB Capital’s asset portfolio, which has been heavily focused on auto finance. He is also paying attention to the “balanced growth” of retail finance assets and corporate and investment finance assets. He was born on May 17, 1968. He graduated from Daea High School in Jinju and from the Department of Chemistry at Gyeongsang National University. He began his career at Korea Housing Bank. After Korea Housing Bank merged with KB Kookmin Bank, he served at KB Kookmin Bank as Head of the Structured Finance Division 2, Senior Credit Officer of the CIB and Global Credit Review Department, and Head of the CIB and Global Credit Review Department. After serving as Head of the Structured Finance Division 3 and Head of the Structured Finance Group, he was appointed CEO of KB Capital in January 2024. He was reappointed in December 2025. He is a corporate finance expert who has worked for many years in the Corporate and Investment Banking CIB sector and the structured finance sector. #KBFinancialGroup #KBCapital #corporatefinance #structuredfinance #autoFinance #financialservices #KoreanBanking #leadership #financeindustry #CIB
- CEO of SNT Motiv
  Kwon Hyung-soon
  
  Kwon Hyung-soon is the CEO of SNT Motiv. He is focusing on expanding global overseas sales of eco-friendly automotive components while accelerating efforts to target global defense industry markets, including the Middle East. He was born on November 16, 1963. He graduated from the Department of Mechanical Design at Seoul National University and joined Daewoo Precision Industries, now SNT Motiv. He served as head of the Motor Business Division and head of the Mobility Business Division. In 2022, he was appointed CEO. He is a hands-on manager who rose through the company after working there for nearly 40 years. In particular, he is recognized for his expertise in the eco-friendly automotive business sector. #SNTMotiv #automotivecomponents #defenseindustry #eco-friendlyvehicles #KwonHyungsoon #mobilitybusiness #SNTGroup #automotiveindustry #globalmarkets #SouthKoreanCEO
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Inveni
  Koo Bon-hyuck
  
  Koo Bon-hyuck is Vice Chairman and CEO of Inveni. He was born on July 10, 1977, as the eldest son among one son and one daughter of Koo Ja-myung, Chairman of LS MnM. He graduated from Kyungbok High School in Seoul and the Department of International Business at Kookmin University. He completed an MBA program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management in the United States. After joining LS Cable & System, he worked as head of the LS Global Los Angeles branch and as a manager in the business strategy team at LS Group. At LS-Nikko Copper, he served as head of the management support division and head of the business division. He later moved to Yesco Holdings, where he served as head of the future business division before becoming CEO in 2021. He transformed Yesco Holdings, which had been a general holding company, into an investment holding company. Yesco Holdings changed its name to Inveni in March 2025. Among the third generation of the LS Group owner family, he was the first to be promoted to vice chairman. #LSGroup #KooBonhyuck #Inveni #YescoHoldings #LSCable #LSNikkoCopper #KoreanBusiness #ChaebolFamily #CorporateLeadership #InvestmentHoldingCompany
- STX Engine CEO
  Lee Sang-su
  
  Lee Sang-su is CEO of STX Engine. He has presented a vision to expand the company’s business areas in connection with powerpacks, hybrid systems, and marine propulsion systems, and to grow the company into a total solution provider. He was born in September 1962. He graduated from Masan High School in South Gyeongsang Province and from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Ajou University. He began his career at Ssangyong Heavy Industries and later moved to STX Engine, where he served as head of the High-Speed Engine Design Team and as vice executive director in charge of overall design. After serving as managing director and head of the Special Business Division, he was appointed CEO in March 2023. He was reappointed in 2024, extending his term by two years. He is considered one of the leading defense engine developers in South Korea, having succeeded in localizing the diesel engine that serves as the core of the K9 self-propelled howitzer, a flagship product of the country’s defense industry. Beginning the year after taking office, the company achieved record-high performance for consecutive years. He is seeking a new owner for the company. #STXEngine #LeeSangsu #defenseindustry #K9howitzer #dieselengine #powerpack #marinepropulsion #Kdefense #engineer #SouthKoreaDefenseIndustry
- President and Chief Executive Officer of KG Chemical
  Kwak Jeonghyun
  
  Kwak Jeonghyun is the President and Chief Executive Officer of KG Chemical. Ahead of the transfer of management control, he faces the tasks of proving his management capabilities and stabilizing the corporate governance structure. He was born on January 14, 1982, as the eldest son of Kwak Jae-sun, the founder and chairman of KG Group. He graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Sungkyunkwan University and completed an MBA program at the Purdue University Graduate School of Business in the United States. He joined Kia Motors and began his professional career in the Overseas Product Team. He later joined KG Inicis, his father’s company, where he was appointed as an inside director, and concurrently served as an inside director of KG Mobilians. He later moved to KG Group and served as head of the Management Support Office. In 2015, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer (Executive Director) of KG Logis. After serving as head of the Management Support Division at KG Steel, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of KG Chemical in 2020. He is also concurrently serving as President and Head of the Business Strategy Division at KG Mobility. He is working to vertically integrate KG’s affiliates around the automobile sector and to transform KG into a “comprehensive mobility group.” #KGGroup #KwakJeonghyun #KGChemical #KGMobility #MobilityStrategy #CorporateGovernance #KoreaBusiness #KiaMotorsCareer #KoreanChaebol #MobilityIndustry
- CEO of Meritz Securities
  Chang Won-jae
  
  Chang Won-jae is the CEO of Meritz Securities. He leads Meritz Securities under a co-CEO system with CEO Kim Jong-min, who is responsible for the Investment Banking (IB) and management divisions. He oversees the Sales and Trading (S&T) and retail businesses and was recruited as a crisis management expert. He is focusing on stabilizing the organization by strengthening internal controls at Meritz Securities. He was born on June 7, 1967, in Seoul. He graduated from Seoul Seorabeol High School and the Department of Mathematics at Seoul National University. He earned a master’s degree in mathematics from the graduate school of Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Minnesota in the United States. He was the first person with a science and engineering doctoral background to join Samsung Securities and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer (CRO). After moving to Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance, he served as the Chief Risk Officer at both Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance and Meritz Financial Group. He later moved to Meritz Securities, where he worked as head of the Sales and Trading (S&T) division before being appointed CEO in 2023. As a former mathematician, he has a strong grasp of numbers. The Korean original contains a likely typo in the sentence “수학자 출신 답계 숫자에 밝다.” The word “답계” appears incorrect and is likely intended to be “답게,” meaning “as expected of a mathematician.”
- Vice Chairwoman of Hansol Chemical
  Cho Yeon-ju
  
  Cho Yeon-ju is Vice Chairwoman of Hansol Chemical. She was born on October 12, 1979, as the eldest daughter of Cho Dong-hyuk, Chairman of Hansol Chemical, and the eldest granddaughter of Lee In-hee, adviser to Hansol Group and the eldest daughter of Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chul. She is a fourth-generation business leader of the broader Samsung family. She graduated from Wellesley College, a prestigious women’s college in the United States, and completed an MBA program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She worked at Boston Consulting Group and Victoria’s Secret. In 2014, she began her management training by joining Hansol Chemical as head of the planning office. She drew attention as the “first fourth-generation member of the broader Samsung family to serve as an inside director.” At the end of 2020, she was promoted to vice chairwoman in a rapid rise. From the early stages of her participation in management, she has led active mergers and acquisitions and the development of new businesses, earning recognition as a strategist for the company. She has presented a vision of transforming Hansol Chemical into a “comprehensive materials solutions company.” She faces the task of achieving two goals at once: the successful establishment of new businesses and the secure stabilization of management control. #HansolChemical #ChoYeonju #SamsungFamily #KoreanBusiness #MaterialsIndustry #MergersAndAcquisitions #CorporateStrategy #WellesleyCollege #WhartonMBA #KoreaChaebol

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