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

- POSCO Holdings CEO and Chairman
  Chang In-hwa
  
  Jang In-hwa is CEO and chairman of POSCO Holdings. He is weighing the acquisition of HMM as part of business diversification while focusing on securing safety at worksites. He was born on August 17, 1955, in Seoul. He graduated from Kyunggi High School in Seoul and Seoul National University’s Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering. He received a master’s degree in naval architecture from Seoul National University Graduate School and a doctorate in ocean engineering from the University of Massachusetts in the United States. He joined POSCO and worked as head of the Steel Structures Research Lab at the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST). After serving as head of the New Business Office in the Growth Investment Division, head of the New Business Management Office in the Finance and Investment Division, and head of the Steel Solution Marketing Office in the Steel Business Division, he worked as head of the Technology Investment Division and head of the Technical Research Laboratories. While serving as head of the Steel Production Division, he was appointed CEO and president in 2018. He became a final candidate in the process to select the chairman of POSCO Holdings, but after failing to win the post, he left the company and returned as chairman in 2024. He has shown benevolent leadership that brings members together. He is interested in listening to opinions and reflecting them in management. #JangInhwa #POSCOHoldings #POSCO #HMM #businessdiversification #workplacesafety #steelindustry #leadership #corporategovernance #Koreanbusiness
  NEWS
  - • Chang In-hwa Sharpens POSCO Group’s Restructuring, Steel Competitiveness Gains Now Crucial
  - • POSCO Holdings Chairman Chang In-hwa: Finding a Breakthrough to Overcome a Challenging First Year
- KB Financial Group chairman and CEO
  Yang Jong-hee
  
  Yang Jong-hee is chairman and CEO of KB Financial Group. He is working to transform the company’s business model and find future growth engines through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). He was born on June 10, 1961, in Jeonju. He graduated from Jeonju High School and Seoul National University’s Department of Korean History, and completed an MBA program at Sogang University’s Graduate School of Business. He began his career at Housing & Commercial Bank. After Housing & Commercial Bank was merged into Kookmin Bank, he served as head of KB Kookmin Bank’s Seocho Station branch, secretary-general of the board of directors at KB Financial Group, head of the strategic planning department, and managing director in charge of strategic planning. After leading the working-level process for the acquisition of LIG Insurance, he was selected as CEO and president of KB Insurance in 2016. After serving as vice chairman of KB Financial Group, he was appointed chairman in 2023. He is regarded as strong in finance and strategy, and as meticulous in handling work. He is actively calling for the adoption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the pursuit of new businesses such as digital assets. #YangJonghee #KBFinancialGroup #KBFinancial #KBBank #KBInsurance #AI #DigitalAssets #BusinessModelTransformation #FinancialStrategy #KoreanFinance
  NEWS
  - • Yang Leads KB Toward KRW 6 Trillion Profit, Rewriting Value Strategy Ask ChatGPT
  - • Yang Jong-hee’s Second Term at KB Financial Begins Strong with Earnings Momentum and Innovation Confidence
- Lotte Group Chairman
  Shin Dong-bin
  
  Shin Dong-bin is chairman of Lotte Group. He also serves as CEO of Lotte Corp., Lotte Chemical, Lotte Shopping and Lotte Wellfood. He is working to overcome the group’s difficult situation through personnel reform and the search for new growth engines. He was born on February 14, 1955, in Tokyo, Japan, as the second son among the two sons and two daughters of Shin Kyuk-ho, the founder of Lotte Group. He graduated from the high school division of Aoyama Gakuin in Japan and Aoyama Gakuin University. He completed an MBA program at Columbia Business School in the United States. He worked at Nomura Securities in Japan and then at Lotte Corporation in Japan. He joined Honam Petrochemical as an executive director, entering Korea’s Lotte Group. After serving as vice president of Lotte Group’s Planning and Coordination Office and head of its Policy Headquarters, he became chairman in 2011. In 2015, he also became CEO of Lotte Holdings in Japan. He is preparing for the succession of management control by bringing his son Shin Yoo-yeol to the front line of management. He is humble and places importance on etiquette. He has been described as quiet, but aggressive in management. #ShinDongbin #LotteGroup #LotteCorp #LotteChemical #LotteShopping #LotteWellfood #ShinYooYeol #LotteHoldings #KoreanBusiness #BusinessLeadership
  NEWS
  - • Lotte’s Job-based Pay Push Faces Harsh Reality — Shin Dong-bin’s Optimism Meets Tough Road Ahead
  - • Lotte Overhauls Outside Directors — Shin Dong-bin Replaces Officials with Industry Experts
- Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group
  Chung Eui-sun
  
  Chung Eui-sun is chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. He is working to transform Hyundai Motor into a comprehensive smart mobility solutions company while focusing on expanding the hydrogen ecosystem. He was born in Seoul on Oct. 18, 1970, as the youngest child and only son among the three daughters and one son of Chung Mong-koo, honorary chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. He graduated from Whimoon High School in Seoul and Korea University’s Department of Business Administration. He completed an MBA program at the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Management in the United States. After joining Hyundai Precision Industry, now Hyundai Mobis, he studied in the United States and then worked at the New York branch of Japan’s Itochu Corporation. He joined Hyundai Motor as head of purchasing and head of the sales support division, and later served as deputy head of Hyundai Motor’s domestic sales division, executive vice president of Hyundai Card, and deputy head of Hyundai-Kia Motors’ planning and coordination division. In 2005, he became CEO and president of Kia Motors. After serving as president of Hyundai Mobis, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, and vice chairman in charge of quality management planning at Hyundai Steel, he has overseen the group’s overall business as chairman of Hyundai Motor Group since October 2020. He is speeding up the development of autonomous driving technology, while focusing on Physical AI and humanoid robot development as key future businesses. He is described as modest and humble. He serves as president of the Korea Archery Association. #ChungEui-sun #HyundaiMotorGroup #HyundaiMotor #smartmobility #hydrogenecosystem #autonomousdriving #PhysicalAI #humanoidrobots #HyundaiMobis #KoreaArcheryAssociation
  NEWS
  - • Chung Eui-sun’s Robotics and Autonomous Driving Ambitions Hit Union Roadblock
  - • Hyundai’s First Supercar N74 Set to Debut Next Year
- LG Group Chairman and LG CEO
  Koo Kwang-mo
  
  Koo Kwang-mo is chairman of LG Group. He also serves as CEO of LG, the group’s holding company. Since 2025, he has emphasized rebalancing through a strategy of selection and concentration, while strengthening investment in the “ABC” fields — AI, bio and cleantech — which he has chosen as future businesses. He was born on January 23, 1978, in Seoul as the eldest son of Koo Bon-neung, chairman of Heesung Group. In 2004, he was adopted by Koo Bon-moo, the former chairman and older brother of Koo Bon-neung. He graduated from Seoul Youngdong High School and the Department of Computer Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States. He completed an MBA program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business in the United States. He worked at LG Electronics before moving to a startup. After returning to LG Electronics, he served as managing director of LG’s synergy team and head of the ID(Information Display) business division at LG Electronics’ B2B Business Division. In 2018, he became chairman and CEO of LG. He is down-to-earth, humble and practical in his thinking. He calls employees “customer value creators” and puts customers as the top priority. #KooKwangmo #LGGroup #LG #CEO #ABCStrategy #AI #Bio #Cleantech #CustomerValue #BusinessLeadership
  NEWS
  - • LG Chem, Battery, Display Slump Speeds Up Koo Kwang-mo’s ‘Selection and Concentration’ Strategy
  - • "Customer First, Always": On the Ground at LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo's Leadership in Action
- chairman of Mirae Asset Group
  Park Hyeon-joo
  
  Park Hyeon-joo is chairman of Mirae Asset Group. He was born on October 17, 1958, in Gwangju. He graduated from Gwangju Jeil High School and Korea University’s Department of Business Administration. After joining Tongyang Securities, he moved to Dongwon Securities and worked as a director. In 1997, he founded Mirae Asset Venture Investment, now Mirae Asset Capital, and Mirae Asset Global Investments. Right after the foreign exchange crisis, he brought innovation to Korea’s indirect investment market with the “Park Hyeon-joo Fund.” He later established Mirae Asset Securities, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Life Insurance and others, building the framework of a financial group. In 2001, he became chairman of Mirae Asset Group and established Mirae Asset Global Investments’ Hong Kong unit, Korea’s first overseas asset management subsidiary. He expanded the company by acquiring SK Investment Trust Management, SK Life Insurance, KDB Daewoo Securities, local exchange-traded fund (ETF) management companies in Canada, the United States and Australia, and Sharekhan, a local securities company in India. Two years after becoming chairman of Mirae Asset Securities, he stepped down from the post and took charge as global strategy officer (GSO), putting more focus on overseas business and global investment strategy. He is called a pioneer of Korea’s capital market. He helped spread a culture of long-term investment and overseas investment among Korean investors. He is serving as co-chairman of the National Growth Fund Strategy Committee. He aims to connect investment platforms that had been divided by country into one system and build a globally integrated investment service that covers both traditional financial assets and digital assets. #ParkHyeon-joo #MiraeAssetGroup #MiraeAsset #KoreaCapitalMarket #GlobalInvestment #LongTermInvestment #OverseasInvestment #ETF #NationalGrowthFund #DigitalAssets
  NEWS
  - • 'Giant' Mirae Asset's Park Hyeon-joo, Relentlessly Marching Toward a Global Investment Bank
- CEO of INNOX Advanced Materials
  Chang Kyeong-ho
  
  Chang Kyeong-ho is CEO of INNOX Advanced Materials. He is strengthening the company's existing core businesses while expanding into future advanced industries, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and secondary battery materials. Chang was born on October 3, 1958, in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. He graduated from Gongju High School and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry education from Gongju National University of Education (now Kongju National University). He received a master's degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). He joined Saehan Technology Research Institute as head of the Electronic Materials Team and worked as a developer. After the Saehan Group entered a workout program, he founded Saehan Micronics (now INNOX Advanced Materials), a materials company based on polymer synthesis technology, in 2001. He is a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. He has served as chairman of the KOSDAQ Association and president of the Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. #INNOXAdvancedMaterials #ChangKyeongho #AI #Robotics #SecondaryBatteries #AdvancedMaterials #KAIST #PolymerSynthesis #KOSDAQ #SemiconductorMaterials
- CEO of Daou Data
  Kim Sang-jun
  
  Kim Sang-jun is the Chief Executive Officer of Daou Data. He is focused on transforming the company's business from software (SW) distribution to a service- and platform-oriented model. Kim was born on June 26, 1964, in Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from the Department of Computer Science at Dankook University. He began his career at Daou Data as a Business Division Manager before moving to Daou Technology, where he served as Sales Manager and later Executive Director, building expertise in the information technology (IT) business and software distribution. After joining Korea Information Certificate Authority (KICA) as Head of the Management Division, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2016. He has remained CEO after the company joined the Daou Kiwoom Group and changed its name to Daou Data in 2021.
- Chairman and CEO of Shinhan Financial Group
  Jin Ok-dong
  
  Jin Ok-dong is the chairman and CEO of Shinhan Financial Group. He is strengthening the group’s position as one of South Korea’s leading financial holding companies by focusing on management efficiency, digital transformation and global business. He was born on February 21, 1961, in Imsil, North Jeolla Province. He graduated from Seoul Deoksu Commercial High School and earned a degree in business administration from Korea National Open University. He completed an MBA program at Chung-Ang University Graduate School of Business. He began his career at the Industrial Bank of Korea. He moved to Shinhan Bank, where he worked as deputy general manager of the credit review department and as team leader of the treasury department. While serving as head of the Osaka branch in Japan, he led the launch of SBJ Bank, Shinhan Bank’s Japanese subsidiary, and later served as vice president and then CEO of SBJ Bank. After serving as deputy president and head of the management support group at Shinhan Bank and vice president in charge of operations at Shinhan Financial Group, he was appointed president of Shinhan Bank in 2019. He was appointed chairman and CEO of Shinhan Financial Group in 2023. In 2026, he secured a three-year second term. He is known for his gentle and easygoing personality. #JinOkdong #ShinhanFinancialGroup #ShinhanBank #SBJBank #KoreanFinance #FinancialHoldingCompany #DigitalTransformation #GlobalBusiness #BankingLeadership #KoreanCEO
  NEWS
  - • Shinhan Financial’s Jin Ok-dong Heads to Central Asia, Boosts Business in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
  - • Shinhan Financial Group’s Model Succession Structure: Who Is Being Prepared to Succeed Jin Ok-dong?
- chairman and CEO of Woori Financial Group
  Yim Jong-ryong
  
  Yim Jong-ryong is chairman and CEO of Woori Financial Group. He was born on Aug. 3, 1959, in Boseong, South Jeolla Province. He graduated from Seoul Yeongdong High School and Yonsei University’s Department of Economics. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Administration and a master’s degree in economics from Oregon State University in the United States. He entered public service after passing the 24th Higher Civil Service Examination. He worked as director-general of the Financial Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Finance and Economy before being named presidential secretary for economic affairs at the Blue House under the Lee Myung-bak administration. After serving as first vice minister of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and then as minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, his final public post, he left public service and went on to serve as chairman of NH NongHyup Financial Group and chairman of the Financial Services Commission. He later worked as a special professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of Economics and as an adviser at Yulchon LLC. In 2023, he was appointed chairman of Woori Financial Group. He was nominated as prime minister near the end of the Park Geun-hye administration, but the nomination was dropped after the president’s impeachment. He is known for his strong mediation skills and has the nickname “Zhuge Liang of the financial world.” #YimJongryong #WooriFinancialGroup #WooriFinancial #NHNongHyupFinancialGroup #FinancialServicesCommission #KoreanFinance #FinancialLeadership #PublicService #KoreanBanking #CorporateBiography
  NEWS
  - • Woori Financial Group’s Board Reshuffle—Pressure Mounts on Yim Jong-ryong with One Year Left
  - • Woori Financial Group Braces for FSS Inspection, Yim Jong-ryong’s Expansion at Risk

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