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

- President and CEO of Amkor Technology Korea
  Lee Jin-an
  
  Lee Jin-an is the president and CEO of Amkor Technology Korea. He is expanding the company’s facilities in Gwangju and Songdo, Incheon, to meet growing demand for advanced semiconductor packaging for AI and data centers. He was born on February 10, 1964. He majored in electrical and electronic engineering at Jeonbuk National University and completed an MBA program at Chonnam National University Graduate School of Business. He joined Anam Industrial and worked on semiconductor package development. After Anam Industrial’s semiconductor packaging business was transferred to U.S.-based Amkor Technology, he remained with the company as plant manager of the Gwangju facility. He later served as plant manager of the company’s China subsidiary and head of technology. As head of Amkor’s worldwide manufacturing operations, he managed the group’s global production network. In January 2025, he was appointed president and CEO of Amkor Technology Korea while continuing to oversee worldwide manufacturing. #LeeJinan #AmkorTechnologyKorea #AmkorTechnology #semiconductor #semiconductorpackaging #advancedpackaging #AI #datacenter #Gwangju #Songdo
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Sejin Heavy Industries
  Yoon Ji-won
  
  Yoon Ji-won is Vice Chairman and CEO of Sejin Heavy Industries. He was born on January 8, 1985, as the eldest son among the one son and one daughter of Yoon Jong-kuk, Chairman of Sejin Heavy Industries. He graduated from Hakseong High School in Ulsan and the College of Engineering at Purdue University in the United States, and earned a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Engineering Practice, Technology Management and Economics Policy at Seoul National University. He joined Sejin Heavy Industries as an executive director in 2016 and was registered as an inside director in 2021. As a second-generation owner-manager, he went through the process of succeeding management control, was promoted to Vice Chairman in January 2026, and was appointed co-CEO with independent representative authority in April. He is focusing on expanding the company’s global business by establishing a production base in Vietnam and securing an early lead in the next-generation eco-friendly equipment market, including liquefied hydrogen and LCO2. #YoonJiwon #SejinHeavyIndustries #shipbuilding #marineequipment #Vietnam #liquefiedhydrogen #LCO2 #ecoFriendlyEquipment #businessSuccession #globalExpansion
- CEO of Hanwha TotalEnergies
  Na Sang-seob
  
  Na Sang-seob is the CEO of Hanwha TotalEnergies. He leads Hanwha TotalEnergies as co-CEO alongside Senior Vice President Dominic Vincent. Amid a prolonged downturn in the petrochemical industry triggered by oversupply from China, he is focused on leading a recovery in business performance, responding to the government-led restructuring of the petrochemical industry, and shifting the company's business structure toward high-value-added and eco-friendly materials. He was born on October 21, 1965. He graduated from Dongsung High School in Seoul and earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Chung-Ang University. He earned a master's degree in chemical engineering from Chung-Ang University's graduate school and a doctorate in chemical engineering from Seoul National University's graduate school. He joined Hanwha TotalEnergies and worked at its research institute and resin production sites. He served in charge of strategic planning and technology before becoming head of the company's manufacturing complex. He was appointed CEO of Hanwha TotalEnergies in 2024. An engineer by training with experience in research, planning and plant operations, he is an internally promoted leader who has spent 26 years at Hanwha TotalEnergies. #NaSangseob #HanwhaTotalEnergies #petrochemicals #chemicalengineering #businessrestructuring #highvaluematerials #ecofriendlymaterials #petrochemicalindustry #manufacturing #corporateleadership
- Chairman of the Chung-Ang University Foundation
  Lee Hyun-soon
  
  Lee Hyun-soon is chairman of the Chung-Ang University Foundation. He was born in Seoul on November 11, 1950. He graduated from Seoul High School and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University. He earned master's and doctoral degrees in engineering from the graduate school of the State University of New York at Stony Brook (SUNY at Stony Brook). He worked in the engine development division at the GM Research Center. He later moved to Hyundai Motor, where he served as head of the Namyang R&D Center and head of the Powertrain R&D Center, and later as vice chairman overseeing research and development at Hyundai Motor. He then joined Doosan as an advisor and served as vice chairman in charge of technology. After serving as chairman of the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), he has served as chairman of the Chung-Ang University Foundation since 2023. He is a career engineer who developed Korea's first domestically developed "Alpha Engine" while serving as vice chairman of Hyundai Motor. He is the first chairman from outside the owner family since Doosan Group acquired Chung-Ang University. He served as president of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers. He is a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea and also serves as chairman of the Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea. #LeeHyunsoon #ChungAngUniversity #HyundaiMotor #AlphaEngine #AutomotiveEngineering #ResearchAndDevelopment #Doosan #UNIST #MechanicalEngineering #EngineeringLeadership
- CEO of Hyundai Transys
  Baek Cheol-seung
  
  Baek Cheol-seung is CEO and Executive Vice President of Hyundai Transys. He is focusing on strengthening profitability in the company's two core businesses of transmissions and seats through management centered on business fundamentals, while also working to shift its business structure toward hybrid and electric vehicle drive systems. He was born on April 22, 1968. He graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a degree in metallurgical engineering and earned a master's degree in metallurgical engineering from the university's graduate school. He joined Hyundai Motor Company, where he served as head of the Interior, Electrical and Electronics Parts Procurement Office and head of the Procurement Strategy Office. He later served as head of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC). He joined Hyundai Transys as an executive vice president and head of sales. He was later promoted to vice president and put in charge of business development. In November 2024, he was appointed CEO of Hyundai Transys. He is regarded as a procurement expert with extensive experience in both purchasing and overseas subsidiary management. #BaekCheolseung #HyundaiTransys #HyundaiMotor #AutomotiveIndustry #Transmission #AutomotiveSeats #HybridVehicles #ElectricVehicles #Procurement #Mobility
- CEO of Serveone
  Lee Kuk-hwan
  
  Lee Kuk-hwan is the CEO of Serveone. He was born on January 18, 1982. He graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and completed an MBA program at Stanford Graduate School of Business in the United States. He began his career at SK Telecom before moving to McKinsey & Company, and later served as head of strategy at FILA Korea. He joined Woowa Brothers and worked in positions including head of the Baemin Riders Business Office and head of the Delivery Business Division. After serving as chief operating officer (COO), he became CEO in 2023. He was appointed CEO of Serveone in January 2025. He built his expertise in the platform business by taking part in the launch of new services and business expansion at Baedal Minjok. He is focusing on accelerating digital transformation and business diversification strategies while strengthening the competitiveness of Serveone's core business. #LeeKukhwan #Serveone #CEO #WoowaBrothers #BaedalMinjok #DigitalTransformation #BusinessDiversification #PlatformBusiness #MRO #CorporateStrategy
- CEO of HanaTour
  Cho Jwa-jin
  
  Cho Jwa-jin is CEO of HanaTour. He was born on November 6, 1967, in Busan. He graduated from Naeseong High School in Busan and Seoul National University with a degree in economics. He began his career at Samsung Life Insurance. After working at global consulting firm A.T. Kearney, he joined Hyundai Capital as an executive director. He later moved to Oliver Wyman as head of its Korea operations before returning to Hyundai Card, where he served as head of financial marketing, head of strategy, and head of strategy and finance. He also served as CEO of Hyundai Capital America (HCA). He later founded and operated the consulting firm JCMC. In 2020, he was recruited as CEO and president of Lotte Card. In July 2026, after HanaTour introduced an executive officer system, he was appointed its first CEO under the new system. Having built extensive experience across the financial industry, he has led platform innovation and spearheaded the advancement of products and platform services. #ChoJwajin #HanaTour #CEO #LotteCard #HyundaiCard #HyundaiCapital #HyundaiCapitalAmerica #PlatformInnovation #FinancialIndustry #TravelIndustry
- Chairman of Daol Financial Group
  Lee Byung-chul
  
  Lee Byung-chul is chairman of Daol Financial Group. He also serves as CEO of Daol Investment & Securities. He is focusing on overcoming risks related to real estate project financing (PF) and diversifying the group's business portfolio. Lee was born in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1968. He graduated from Taereung High School in Seoul and attended Korea University's Department of Business Administration before dropping out. In 2004, he founded Daol Real Estate Trust, Korea's first privately owned real estate trust company, and established Daol Asset Management, Korea's first asset management company specializing in real estate. After selling stakes in Daol Real Estate Trust and Daol Asset Management to Hana Financial Group, he served as president and CEO of Hana Daol Trust, which had been renamed following the deal, while also heading Hana Financial Group's real estate business group, overseeing the group's real estate operations. He founded Daol Investment and engaged in the real estate investment business. In 2016, he acquired a stake in KTB Investment & Securities and became its vice chairman and CEO. He became the largest shareholder after buying most of the KTB Investment & Securities shares held by Chairman Kwon Sung-moon. He has earned several "first in Korea" distinctions in the field of real estate finance. #LeeByungchul #DaolFinancialGroup #DaolInvestmentSecurities #realestatefinance #projectfinancing #PF #DaolRealEstateTrust #DaolAssetManagement #KTBInvestmentSecurities #financialservices
- Chairman of Daesung Industrial
  Kim Young-tae
  
  Kim Young-tae is Chairman and CEO of Daesung Industrial. He faces the tasks of turning around the company’s performance by finding new businesses and improving profitability, as well as establishing a stable succession structure for the third generation of the owner family. He was born on October 2, 1942, in Daegu as the eldest son among the three sons and three daughters of Kim Soo-keun, founder of Daesung Group. He graduated from Kyungpook National University High School and the Department of Public Administration at Seoul National University, and earned a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Business at Seoul National University. He joined Daesung Industrial, his father’s company, as a director. He became Chairman and CEO of Daesung Industrial Gases in 1985, Chairman and CEO of Daesung Measuring & Control from 1987, and has served as Chairman and CEO of Daesung Industrial since 1988. He diversified the business areas of Daesung Industrial, the group’s flagship company that had centered on coal briquettes and petroleum, into distribution, construction, combined heat and power generation, and overseas resource development, helping lead changes in Korea’s energy industry. However, the company’s expansion into new areas failed amid mounting losses at D-Cube City and other setbacks, pushing it toward capital impairment and forcing it to undertake intensive restructuring that included the disposal of all non-energy businesses. He served as president of the Korea Resource Economics Association, vice chairman of the Korea Listed Companies Association, and vice chairman of the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He concurrently serves as the head of Daesung C&S and Daesung Nachi Hydraulics. #KimYoungtae #DaesungIndustrial #DaesungGroup #energyindustry #businessdiversification #corporaterestructuring #succession #profitability #resourcedevelopment #DCubeCity
- Chairman of Hansol Group
  Cho Dong-kil
  
  Cho Dong-kil is chairman of Hansol Group. He was born on November 30, 1955, in Seoul as the third son of Lee In-hee, former adviser to Hansol Group and the eldest daughter of Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chul. He graduated from St. Paul’s School in the United States and the Department of Economics at Yonsei University. After working at Samsung C&T, he joined Hansol Paper, then known as Jeonju Paper, and developed an early interest in the paper business. Together with adviser Lee In-hee, he led restructuring efforts to reorganize the group’s business portfolio around the paper industry before becoming chairman of Hansol Group in 2002. He strengthened the group’s core paper businesses, including Hansol Paper, Hansol Artone Paper and Hansol Papertech, raising Hansol Group’s revenue from around KRW 2 trillion (US$1.4 billion) to around KRW 5 trillion (US$3.6 billion). He is known for having a strong practical sense and is credited with stabilizing the group by choosing sound management and practical gains over reckless expansion. As the group approaches the era of fourth-generation management, he faces challenges including weak control over the group, difficulties securing ownership stakes, a lack of growth engines and a decline in the group’s overall standing. The original Korean text contains an apparent spacing typo in “4 세,” which was interpreted as “4세,” meaning “fourth-generation.” #ChoDongkil #HansolGroup #HansolPaper #paperindustry #businessrestructuring #corporategovernance #fourthgenerationmanagement #LeeInhee #SamsungGroup #businessleadership

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