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

- CEO of KB Securities
  Lee Hong-ku
  
  Lee Hong-ku is the CEO of KB Securities. He is responsible for the Wealth Management (WM) division under a co-CEO system alongside CEO Kang Jin-doo. He has focused on the individual brokerage market to improve performance and has shown strong interest in adopting artificial intelligence (AI). He was born on September 20, 1965. He graduated from Daegu Simin High School and majored in Business Administration at Korea University. He began his career at Hyundai Securities and later moved to Kyungnam Enterprises. He returned to the securities industry at KB Securities, where he served as Head of the PB Client Division and Head of the Gangnam Regional Headquarters. After KB Securities merged with Hyundai Securities, he led growth through the chemical integration of the Wealth Management (WM) division. After serving as Head of the WM Division, he was appointed CEO of KB Securities in 2024 and succeeded in securing a second term. #KBsecurities #LeeHongku #WealthManagement #BrokerageMarket #ArtificialIntelligence #KoreanFinance #InvestmentBanking #CorporateLeadership #FinancialServices #AssetManagement
- Chairman and CEO of Lotte Tour Development
  Kim Ki-byung
  
  Kim Ki-byung is the Chairman and CEO of Lotte Tour Development. He joined the Lotte family by marrying Shin Jung-hee, the youngest sister of Shin Kyuk-ho, the founder of Lotte Group, but he independently operates Lotte Tour Development and Dongwha Duty Free. He was born on March 22, 1938, in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province. He graduated from the Department of English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Korea University Graduate School of Business and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Administration. During the April 19 Revolution, he served as president of the student council at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and as chairman of the National University Students’ Order Restoration Committee. He began his career as an administrative officer at the Ministry of Home Affairs and later served as secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Jang Ki-young, who concurrently held the post of Minister of the Economic Planning Board (now the Ministry of Strategy and Finance). He also held positions including Director of the Trade Division at the Trade Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (now the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy), Director of the General Affairs Division and Spokesperson, and Director General of the Bureau of Industrial Policy. In 1971, he entered the tourism industry and founded Ajin Tourism (now Lotte Tour Development). He subsequently established Dongwha Duty Free, Dongwha Investment Development, and Dongwha Liquor. He also founded Mirim Academy (Mirim Girls’ High School) and serves as its chairman. Since 2021, he has been serving as chairman of the Korea-Japan Cooperation Committee. He experienced a crisis, including entering court receivership due to the collapse of the Yongsan Station Area Development Project, but he made a renewed challenge with the Jeju Dream Tower complex resort project and contributed to elevating Jeju into an Asian tourism hub. He is focusing on completing the second-generation succession, including gifting 6.1 million shares he owns to his second son, Kim Han-jun, CEO of Lotte Tour Development. #KimKiByung #LotteTourDevelopment #DongwhaDutyFree #JejuDreamTower #LotteGroup #KoreaTourism #BusinessLeadership #SecondGenerationSuccession #KoreaJapanCooperation #YongsanDevelopment
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Fine Chemical
  Chung Seong- won
  
  Chung Seong-won is Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Fine Chemical. He is focusing on making a leap into the global top 10 by shifting the business portfolio toward high value-added specialty products. He was born on October 2, 1969. He graduated from Choongang High School affiliated with Chung-Ang University and earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from Yonsei University. He received a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Yonsei University Graduate School. He joined Honam Petrochemical, now Lotte Chemical, and worked in the Overseas New Business Team. He served as Executive Director of the LA Project Team, Executive Director in charge of New Business Teams 2 and 3, and Head of the New Business Division concurrently serving as Head of the Corporate Strategy Division. In 2021, he was appointed CEO for the first time at Lotte INEOS Chemical, and in 2024, he moved to Lotte Fine Chemical and was appointed CEO. As a strategy and planning expert who has worked for more than 30 years within Lotte Group, he led the establishment of mid- to long-term strategies for Lotte Group’s chemical division. In his first year in office, he led a rebound in performance. #ChungSeongwon #LotteFineChemical #LotteGroup #LotteChemical #SpecialtyChemicals #ChemicalIndustry #CorporateStrategy #CEOProfile #BusinessPortfolio #GlobalTop10
- Chairman of ISU Group
  Kim Sang-beom
  
  Kim Sang-beom is the Chairman of ISU Group. He was born on May 18, 1961, as the third son among three sons and two daughters of Kim Jun-sung, Honorary Chairman of ISU Group. He graduated from Shinil High School in Seoul and the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University, and received a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Graduate School in the United States. He worked as a lawyer in the United States before joining Daewoo Group, where he served as head of the International Legal Affairs Office. In 1995, he moved to ISU Chemical, which his father had acquired, and was appointed CEO. After the launch of ISU Group, he served as Vice Chairman, and in January 2000, he became Chairman of ISU Group, succeeding his father who stepped down as Honorary Chairman. He led the company’s growth by establishing its governance structure through strong ownership. He is focusing on next-generation battery materials, AI data processing technology, and bio antibody platforms as the group’s three key growth engines. Swift financial stabilization through asset sales and business restructuring is cited as an urgent task. He was also embroiled in controversy over his high salary. He is also the son-in-law of the late Kim Woo-choong, former Chairman of Daewoo Group. #KimSang-beom #ISUGroup #ISUChemical #KoreanBusinessLeader #CorporateGovernance #BatteryMaterials #AItechnology #BioAntibodyPlatform #DaewooGroup #KoreaChaebol
- CEO of Samsung E&A
  Namkoong Hong
  
  Namkoong Hong is the CEO and President of Samsung E&A. He is focusing on securing future growth engines by investing in technology acquisition and business development in eco-friendly energy fields such as hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon neutrality. He was born on August 18, 1965. He graduated from Sangmun High School in Seoul and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Inha University, and completed an MBA program at the Graduate School of Business at Aalto University (formerly Helsinki School of Economics) in Finland. He began his career in the automotive parts export department at Hyosung. He later moved to Samsung Engineering, now Samsung E&A, where he served as head of Marketing Group 1 and head of SEUAE, the corporation overseeing the Middle East region. After serving as Executive Vice President and head of the Plant Business Division, he was appointed CEO and President of Samsung Engineering in 2023. He succeeded in securing a third consecutive term as CEO, allowing him to maintain a strategy of transforming the company’s business portfolio in line with the era of energy transition. He aims to go beyond being an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) company and leap forward as a “total solution provider,” leading the establishment of a global energy ecosystem. He faces the challenge of improving performance and diversifying customers beyond a business structure centered on affiliates.
  NEWS
  - • Samsung E&A Proves Profitability Amid Unexpected Challenges, Namkoong Hong to Sustain Growth Trend
  - • Samsung E&A’s Namkoong Hong Achieves Cash Accumulation, Dividend Resumption Remains Uncertain
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance
  Lee Sugh-hyun
  
  Lee Sugh-hyun is Vice Chairman and CEO of Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance. Based on his broad understanding of the overall insurance industry, he is enhancing financial soundness and pursuing management focused on stability and substance. He was born on September 30, 1969 (lunar calendar). He graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Sogang University. At Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, he served as Head of the Management Planning Division, Head of the Auto Business Division, and Head of the Auto Insurance Division, gaining experience in various fields including retail sales and auto insurance. He also served as Head of the CPC Strategy Division, overseeing long-term insurance operations and marketing. In March 2025, he was promoted to Vice Chairman of Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance and was appointed as CEO. He is the first sole CEO to emerge from Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance in six years and the youngest CEO in the company’s history. He has set improving capital strength as his top priority.
- President and CEO of Hyundai Mobis
  Lee Gyu-suk
  
  Lee Gyu-suk is the President and CEO of Hyundai Mobis. He is focusing on increasing the share of revenue from global clients in the core components sector, while also working to explore new businesses such as software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and robotics. He was born on August 12, 1965. He graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University and completed the MBA program at the Graduate School of Business at Seoul National University. He joined Hyundai Motor Company and worked at Hyundai Motor and Kia, serving as Head of Purchasing Division 1, Head of the Seat and Electronics Parts Purchasing Office, Head of the Purchasing Strategy Office, and Head of Purchasing Division 1. After overseeing purchasing for Hyundai Motor and Kia as Head of the Purchasing Division, he was appointed President and CEO of Hyundai Mobis in 2023. As one of Hyundai Motor Group’s leading purchasing experts, he led the establishment of a just-in-time procurement system for key strategic materials. #HyundaiMobis #LeeGyusuk #HyundaiMotorGroup #automotiveindustry #SDV #robotics #purchasingstrategy #globalclients #Kia #autocomponents
- CEO of Korea Electric Power Engineering & Construction
  Kim Tae-kyun
  
  Kim Tae-kyun is the CEO of Korea Electric Power Engineering & Construction. He was born in November 1964. He graduated from Seoul Daewon High School and majored in Electrical Engineering at Hanyang University. He received both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Electrical Engineering from Hanyang University Graduate School. He joined Korea Electric Power Corporation and served as Head of the Research Strategy Office at the Electric Power Research Institute, Head of the Transmission & Substation Research Center, and President of the Electric Power Research Institute. He also held the positions of Head of the Technology Planning Department and Head of the Technology Innovation Division. In 2025, he was appointed CEO. He has set “preempting the global nuclear power plant market” as his top priority and, in line with the government’s policy to restore the nuclear power ecosystem, is aggressively pursuing the development of SMR (Small Modular Reactor) technology and overseas nuclear power plant design contracts. He is considered a “technology expert” who has held key positions at KEPCO. He is regarded as the right person to lead the revival of “K-nuclear power.” #KimTae-kyun #KoreaElectricPowerEngineering #KEPCO #NuclearPower #SMR #SmallModularReactor #KoreanNuclear #EnergyPolicy #PowerEngineering #GlobalNuclearMarket
- CEO of Samsung SDI
  Choi Joo-sun
  
  Choi Joo-sun is the CEO of Samsung SDI. He was born on May 21, 1963. He graduated from Daedong High School in Busan and from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Seoul National University. He received both his master’s and doctoral degrees in electronic engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He worked at Hynix Semiconductor as a DRAM design research engineer. After moving to Samsung Electronics, he served as head of the DRAM Development Office in the Memory Business Division and later as head of the DS Division’s Americas operations. In 2020, he was appointed head of the Large Display Business Division and CEO of Samsung Display. In 2025, he moved to Samsung SDI as CEO. As an engineer-turned-technology expert, he drew attention as a relief pitcher expected to overcome the “Chasm.” However, in his first year in office, profits deteriorated and the company returned to a loss for the first time in nine years. To offset the slowdown in the electric vehicle market, he is accelerating the conversion of production lines to focus on batteries for energy storage systems (ESS). He is also preparing to take the lead in the market in earnest through the mass production of all-solid-state batteries. #ChoiJoo-sun #SamsungSDI #SamsungDisplay #SamsungElectronics #batteryindustry #ESS #allsolidstatebattery #electricvehicles #semiconductor #KAIST
  NEWS
  - • Weak IT OLED Demand, Leads to Investment Adjustment by Samsung Display Choi Joo-sun
  - • Stretchable Displays: Still Facing Significant Challenges on the Road to Commercialization
- Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House
  Hong Ihk-pyo
  
  Hong Ihk-pyo is Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House under the Lee Jae-myung administration. He is focusing on opening the door to bipartisan cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties and securing momentum for state affairs. He was born on November 20, 1967, in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. He graduated from Gwanak High School in Seoul and from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Hanyang University, and received a master’s and doctoral degree in political science from Hanyang University Graduate School. He worked as a research fellow at the Center for Northeast Asian Economic Cooperation at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, and served as Policy Advisor to the Minister of Unification and as an adjunct professor at the University of North Korean Studies. He was elected in the 19th National Assembly election after running in Seongdong-gu Eul in Seoul, and is a three-term lawmaker who was consecutively elected in 2016 and 2020 in the Jung-gu and Seongdong-gu Gap constituency in Seoul. He served as Floor Spokesperson, Senior Spokesperson, Chair of the Policy Committee, and President of the Democratic Research Institute. In 2023, he was elected Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. He is regarded as moderate and rational. #HongIhk-pyo #LeeJae-myung #BlueHouse #SeniorPresidentialSecretary #DemocraticPartyOfKorea #NationalAssembly #BipartisanCooperation #KoreanPolitics #PoliticalAffairs #SouthKorea

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