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

- Chairman and CEO of Miwon Commercial
  Hong Chang-shik
  
  Hong Chang-shik is Chairman and CEO of Miwon Commercial. He is focusing on diversifying the company’s business structure around high-value-added electronic materials and making facility investments to secure future growth drivers. He was born on October 10, 1959. He graduated from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Seoul National University. He received a master’s degree and a doctorate in chemical engineering from Seoul National University Graduate School. He began his career as a project engineer at the Central Research Institute of Tongyang Group and worked as head of the technology management department, and was appointed CEO of AATLAB, which makes functional cosmetic ingredients. He joined Miwon Commercial in 2001 and served as plant manager and head of the production technology division before being appointed President and CEO in 2011. He was promoted to chairman in 2020. As an engineer by background, he has a management philosophy centered on processes and technology. He is a representative long-serving professional manager who has led Miwon Commercial for 26 years. He is serving as Vice Chairman of the Korea Chemical Management Association. #MiwonCommercial #HongChangshik #chemicalindustry #electronicmaterials #specialtychemicals #facilityinvestment #businessdiversification #KoreaChemicalManagementAssociation #CEObiography #corporatestrategy
- CEO of Shinhan Card
  Park Chang-hun
  
  Park Chang-hun is CEO of Shinhan Card. He is working to improve profitability to help Shinhan Card recover its earnings. He is focusing on strengthening the card company’s core competitiveness by improving payment convenience and taking preemptive action in the next-generation payments market. He was born on May 5, 1968. He graduated from Jinju High School in South Gyeongsang Province and from Yonsei University with a degree in political science and diplomacy. He joined LG Card and worked in positions including head of the Sales Planning Team. After Shinhan Card acquired and merged with LG Card, he worked at Shinhan Card as head of the New Growth Division and head of the Play Business Division. After serving as head of the Payment Group, he was appointed CEO of Shinhan Card in 2025. He is a card business expert who has worked only in the card industry for more than 30 years, and he is the subject of an “unconventional personnel appointment” in which he was promoted from division-head level to CEO. #ShinhanCard #ParkChanghun #creditcard #payments #fintech #KoreaFinance #digitalpayments #cardindustry #profitability #CEO
  NEWS
  - • Shinhan Card Files 'iPay' Trademark, Signaling Deeper Payment Partnership with Apple
- CEO of Solus Advanced Materials
  Kwak Keun-man
  
  Kwak Keun-man is the CEO of Solus Advanced Materials. He is focusing on securing investment resources through rebalancing while accelerating the expansion of production capacity for battery copper foil used in secondary batteries. He was born on August 20, 1971. He graduated from Korea University with a degree in Computer Science and completed an MBA program at Aalto University School of Business in Finland. He joined Daewoo Information Systems and later worked at Sony Korea, before serving as Deputy Head of Corporate Finance Management at HSBC. He joined Doosan and worked as Head of Finance Management in the holding company division and Head of the Global Finance Center in the Electronics BG business unit. He served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Doosan Solus (now Solus Advanced Materials) and was appointed CEO of Solus Advanced Materials’ European integrated corporation. In 2024, he was appointed CEO of Solus Advanced Materials. He is a finance and strategy expert. He continued to earn the trust of the new largest shareholder that replaced Doosan and was selected as CEO after serving as head of the European corporation. #SolusAdvancedMaterials #KwakKeunman #CEO #batterycopperfoil #secondarybattery #financeexpert #corporatestrategy #Doosan #HSBC #Europeanbusiness
- Chairman and CEO of Kiturami Holdings
  Choi Jin-min
  
  Choi Jin-min is Chairman and CEO of Kiturami Holdings. He has set a goal of reaching total revenue of KRW 3.0 trillion (US$ 2.2 billion) by 2030 by expanding high-value-added businesses. He was born on October 25, 1941, in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from Daegu Technical High School and Chunggu College, now Yeungnam University. In 1962, he founded Shin Saeng Boiler, now Kiturami Boiler. He also served as Chairman of Kiturami Group, Chairman and CEO of Taegu Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), and Chairman of SBS International. Ahead of the referendum on free school meals, public opinion worsened as calls to pressure people to vote and his “red communist” remark led even to a boycott movement, and he stepped down from the front line of management in 2011. In 2023, he returned as Chairman and CEO of Kiturami Holdings. Through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), he continuously expanded the group’s business scope and led its rise into a “comprehensive heating and cooling energy company.” #Kiturami #ChoiJinmin #KituramiHoldings #boiler #energy #HVAC #M&A #KoreaBusiness #heatingandcooling #corporateprofile
- CEO of Hancom Inc.
  Kim Yeon-su
  
  Kim Yeon-su is CEO of Hancom Inc. and also serves as CEO of the Growth Strategy Division at the Hancom Group. He is pushing to transform the company from an electronic document-focused business into a cloud SaaS (Software as a Service) and AI company, with the goal of becoming a global big tech player. He was born on March 23, 1983, as the eldest daughter among the one son and two daughters of Hancom Chairman Kim Sang-cheol. He graduated from Boston University in the United States with a degree in business administration, completed an MBA course at Babson College’s graduate school of business, and earned a master’s degree in finance from the graduate school of Boston College in the United States. After working at semiconductor manufacturer WIZIT and Softforum, now HancomWITH, he joined Hancom Inc. in 2012 as a director. He served as head of overseas business, head of the Hancom Group’s Strategy Planning Office, and head of the Growth Strategy Division. Since 2021, he has served as co-CEO of Hangeul and Computer Group’s Future Strategy Division together with Byun Sung-joon, who oversees operations. He is accelerating efforts to reshape the company into an AI-centered technology business. #Hancom #KimYeonsu #HangeulandComputer #SaaS #ArtificialIntelligence #CloudComputing #KoreanTech #DigitalTransformation #SoftwareIndustry #TechLeadership
  NEWS
  - • Hancom Accelerates AI Monetization, Kim Yeon-su Sets Sights on First KRW 200 Billion Software Milestone
  - • Hancom Kicks Off AI Solution Monetization, Kim Yeon-su Bets on Korean AI in Japan and Europe
- Minister of Oceans and Fisheries
  Hwang Jong-woo
  
  Hwang Jong-woo is the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries. He was chosen as the right person to lead the era of Arctic shipping routes and push ahead without disruption with the completion of Korea’s maritime capital in order to carry out President Lee Jae-myung’s campaign pledges. He was born in Busan in 1967. He graduated from Busan Dong High School and the Department of Law at Seoul National University. In 1995, he entered public service by passing the 38th Higher Civil Service Examination. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, he served as an administrative officer in the Office of the Presidential Secretary for Speechwriting, and during the Moon Jae-in administration, he was a senior administrative officer in the Office of the First Deputy Chief of Staff to the President. He is a career bureaucrat who served in a wide range of key posts at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, including Director of the Marine Conservation Division, Director of the Port Logistics Planning Division, Director of the Marine Policy Division, spokesperson, Director General for Maritime Safety, and Director General for Planning and Coordination. #HwangJongwoo #MinistryofOceansandFisheries #SouthKorea #LeeJaemyung #ArcticRoute #MaritimePolicy #Busan #KoreanGovernment #PublicOfficial #OceanStrategy
- President and CEO of Daeduck Electronics
  Shin Young-hwan
  
  Shin Young-hwan is President and CEO of Daeduck Electronics. He is focusing on improving the company’s business structure and securing growth drivers centered on high-value-added semiconductor substrates. He was born on November 4, 1960. He graduated from Kyungdong High School in Seoul and from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Inha University. He completed an MBA program at Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School of Business. He worked at Samsung Electro-Mechanics as head of the Substrate BGA Development Group and as executive vice president in charge of the Kunshan production subsidiary. He joined Daeduck Electronics as an executive director. In August 2020, he was appointed President and CEO. He was chosen as the first professional manager of the newly established Daeduck Electronics, which was created through a vertical spin-off following the transition to a holding company system. He is regarded as a technology-driven strategist. He faces the task of proving the results of large-scale investment through higher yields and an expanded share in the high-end market. #ShinYoung-hwan #DaeduckElectronics #semiconductor #semiconductorsubstrate #BGA #SamsungElectroMechanics #Koreabusiness #electronicsindustry #highendmarket #CEObiography
- 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

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