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

- CEO of Vinatech
  Sung Do-kyung
  
  Sung Do-kyung is CEO of Vinatech. He has established supercapacitors as a cash cow and is focusing on entering the AI data center power grid infrastructure market. He was born on September 20, 1958, in Gurye, South Jeolla Province. He graduated from Jeonju Technical High School. He majored in electronic engineering at Jeonbuk National University. He began his career at Optoelectronics and later worked at Daewoo Electronic Components, now Ajin Electronic Components, as head of the tantalum capacitor manufacturing and sales team. In 1998, he left the company and founded Vinatech. He serves as chairman of the Carbon-Hydrogen Convergence Industry Research Association. He is a first-generation KONEX entrepreneur. #SungDo-kyung #Vinatech #supercapacitor #AIDataCenter #powergrid #infrastructure #capacitor #KONEX #electronicengineering #carbonhydrogen융합
- President of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital of The Catholic University of Korea.
  Lee Ji-youl
  
  Lee Ji-youl is the President of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital of The Catholic University of Korea. He is focusing on transforming the hospital into a research-driven medical institution through healthcare innovation and is leading its digital transformation initiatives. He was born in 1964. He graduated from the College of Medicine at The Catholic University of Korea. He earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in medicine from The Catholic University of Korea Graduate School. He was appointed as a professor in the Department of Urology at The Catholic University of Korea. He has served as Director of Outpatient Services at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Director of the Catholic Prostate Research Institute, Director of the Catholic Cancer Research Institute, Head of the Human Biobank at the Institute of Biomedical Industry, and Director of the Smart Hospital. He is recognized as a leading authority in the field of urologic cancers and is regarded as one of the pioneers who advanced innovative robotic surgery techniques. He has served as President of the Asia-Pacific Uro-Oncology Society, President of the Asian Pacific Prostate Society, and President of the Korean Prostate Society.
- President and CEO of Samsung Display.
  Yi Chung
  
  Yi Chung is President and CEO of Samsung Display. He is working to strengthen Samsung Display’s dominance in the small- and medium-sized OLED display market for IT devices while fending off growing competition from Chinese rivals. He was born in Seoul in 1966. He graduated from Shinil High School in Seoul and earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Sogang University. He received both a master's degree and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). He joined Samsung Semiconductor’s LCD business division. After moving to Samsung Display, he served as Head of the B/P Development Group and Head of the Panel Development Team in the OLED Business Division. He later worked as Head of the Module Center and Head of the Development Office in the Small and Medium-sized Display Business Division, and subsequently held the positions of Head of the Small and Medium-sized Display Business Division and Head of the IT Business Team concurrently. In November 2024, he was appointed President and CEO of Samsung Display. He is a technology expert with deep knowledge of display process technologies. He is Samsung Display’s first CEO with an engineering background. He also serves as Chairman of the Korea Display Industry Association. #SamsungDisplay #YiChung #OLED #DisplayIndustry #Samsung #ITDisplays #DisplayTechnology #KoreaDisplayIndustryAssociation #SemiconductorIndustry #POSTECH
  NEWS
  - • Apple and Now Amazon Enter Foldables, Samsung Display's Yi Chung Poised to 'Jump Up' with Foldable OLEDs
- Kwon Gi-beom is the chairman of Dongkook Pharmaceutical.
  Kwon Gi-beom
  
  Kwon Gi-beom is the chairman of Dongkook Pharmaceutical. He is approaching the company’s first-ever KRW 1 trillion (US$ 719.4 million) in revenue by expanding the brand competitiveness of its over-the-counter drug business into the cosmetics sector. He was born on March 23, 1967, as the eldest son among two sons and two daughters of Kwon Dong-il, the late former chairman and founder of Dongkook Pharmaceutical. He graduated from Yongsan High School in Seoul and Yonsei University’s Department of Social Welfare. He completed an MBA program at the University of Denver’s business school in the United States. He joined Dongkook Pharmaceutical. In 2002, he became vice president and was appointed CEO at the young age of 34. With the vision of becoming a total healthcare group, he is pursuing balanced growth in prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and health functional foods. He is serving as chairman of the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association. #KwonGibeom #DongkookPharmaceutical #pharmaceuticals #healthcare #cosmetics #OTCdrugs #medicaldevices #healthfoods #KoreaPharmaceuticalBioPharmaManufacturersAssociation #CEO
- Vice Chairman of Kolmar Korea and Kolmar Holdings
  Yoon Sang-hyun
  
  Yoon Sang-hyun is Vice Chairman of Kolmar Korea. He also serves as Vice Chairman of Kolmar Holdings, the group's holding company. He has focused on expanding the value chain of the cosmetics business and restructuring the governance structure of the Kolmar Group. He was born on December 18, 1974, as the eldest of two children, one son and one daughter, of Chairman Yoon Dong-han. He graduated from the Department of Agricultural Economics at Seoul National University. He earned a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in the United Kingdom and a master's degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University in the United States. He worked at the U.S.-based consulting firm Bain & Company. He joined Kolmar Korea as a managing director and was later promoted to executive vice president. In 2015, he became CEO of Kolmar Holdings. He served as CEO of Kolmar Korea's cosmetics division and CEO of CJ HealthCare. He was promoted to Vice Chairman and CEO of Kolmar Korea. After stepping down as CEO of Kolmar Korea and CEO of HK inno.N, he became Vice Chairman and CEO of Kolmar Holdings in May 2024. He led large-scale mergers and acquisitions, significantly expanding the company's size. #KolmarKorea #YoonSanghyun #KolmarHoldings #CosmeticsIndustry #MergersAndAcquisitions #CorporateGovernance #HKinnoN #BainAndCompany #CJHealthCare #KoreanBusinessLeadership
- Chairman of Korea Development Bank
  Park Sang-jin
  
  Park Sang-jin is Chairman of Korea Development Bank. He is working to expand the role of policy financial institutions amid the Lee Jae-myung government’s push for a shift toward productive finance. He was born on March 24, 1962. He graduated from Jeonju High School in North Jeolla Province and Chung-Ang University’s Department of Law. He joined Korea Development Bank in 1990 and handled restructuring, bond management, and court receivership in dedicated task forces for Kia Group, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Daewoo Motor. In the legal affairs office, he worked as head of the compliance monitoring team and head of the litigation team, and supported the transition to a holding company structure at the privatization task force. He served as head of the compliance monitoring team at KDB Financial Group and as head of KDB’s legal affairs office and compliance officer. After leaving KDB, where he had worked for 30 years, he served as vice president of Seobu Metropolitan Railway before taking office as Chairman of Korea Development Bank in September 2025. He is a policy finance expert well versed in corporate restructuring and financial law. He is the first KDB chairman to come from inside the bank. He faces tasks including the sale of HMM and KDB Life Insurance and the operation of the advanced strategic industries fund. #ParkSangjin #KoreaDevelopmentBank #KDB #policyfinance #productivefinance #LeeJaemyunggovernment #corporaterestructuring #financiallaw #HMM #KDBLifeInsurance
- CEO of Korea Railroad Corporation
  Kim Tae-seung
  
  Kim Tae-seung is the CEO of Korea Railroad Corporation. He faces the tasks of integrating high-speed rail, strengthening safety, and improving finances. He was born on October 29, 1961, in Gochang, North Jeolla Province. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in economics and received a master’s degree and a doctorate in economics from Seoul National University’s graduate school. He began his career in the Transportation Research Office at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements. He worked as a policy secretary at the National Assembly Secretariat. He served as a senior researcher at the SOC Research Center of the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements and as a senior research fellow at the Centre for Transportation Studies at the University of British Columbia in Canada. He headed the Northeast Asia, Logistics and Transportation Economics Research Center at the Korea Transport Institute and served as vice president of the Gyeonggi Research Institute. He later became a professor in the Asia Pacific School of Logistics at Inha University’s College of Business Administration. In February 2026, he was finally selected through a public recruitment process for the position of CEO of Korea Railroad Corporation. #KimTae-seung #KoreaRailroadCorporation #KORAIL #highspeedrail #railwaysafety #financialimprovement #transportationpolicy #railintegration #logistics #publiccorporation
- President and CEO of ISU Specialty Chemical
  Lyu Seung-ho
  
  Lyu Seung-ho is President and CEO of ISU Specialty Chemical. He is focusing on establishing commercial production facilities for lithium sulfide (Li2S), a key material for all-solid-state batteries, and securing a leading position in the global supply chain. He is also concentrating on expanding investment in TDM, the company’s existing flagship product. He was born on April 1, 1963. He graduated from Kyungnam High School in Busan and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Seoul National University. He also received a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the graduate school of Seoul National University. After joining ISU, he worked as head of the Strategic Planning Team and executive in charge of management planning. He later served as head of the Business Planning Division at ISU Abxis before being appointed CEO of ISU Abxis in 2013. He moved to ISU Chemical, where he served as head of the Safety Technology Division and plant manager, and was appointed CEO in 2016. In 2023, he was selected as President and CEO of ISU Specialty Chemical, which was launched through a spin-off from ISU Chemical. He is regarded as an expert in fine chemicals. He has served as a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea and as senior vice chairman of the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers. #ISUSpecialtyChemical #LyuSeungho #AllSolidStateBattery #LithiumSulfide #Li2S #BatteryMaterials #FineChemicals #ISUChemical #TDM #ChemicalEngineering
- Chairman of Orion Group.
  Tam Chul-gon
  
  Tam Chul-gon is Chairman of Orion Group. He is pursuing a transformation into a global food and healthcare company by focusing on the food business while linking it with new businesses such as biotechnology. In 2026, he accelerated the group’s third-generation succession process by promoting his eldest son, Tam Seo-won, to Group Executive Vice President. He was born on June 6, 1955, in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, as the son of a Taiwanese-Chinese family that operated a traditional Korean medicine clinic. After attending Korea Kent Foreign School in Seoul during middle school, he moved to the United States and studied business administration at George Washington University. He married Lee Hwa-kyung, Vice Chairman of Orion Group and the second daughter of Lee Yang-gu, the founder of Tongyang Group. He began his career as a manager in the materials department of Tongyang Cement, a Tongyang Group affiliate. After moving to Tongyang Confectionery, he was promoted through the ranks of executive director, senior executive vice president, and executive vice president. Following the death of founder Lee Yang-gu, he inherited management control and became CEO and President of Tongyang Confectionery in 1989. After becoming Group Vice Chairman, he separated Tongyang Confectionery from Tongyang Group in 2001, changed the company’s name to Orion, and became Chairman and CEO. In 2013, he and his wife Lee Hwa-kyung stepped down from their positions as registered directors, but he has continued to oversee the group’s management as Chairman. Opinions on him are divided. He is credited with pioneering the Chinese market through a localized strategy, but he is also viewed as a figure whose legal issues and owner-related risks have placed a considerable burden on the company. #Orion #TamChulGon #OrionGroup #FoodIndustry #HealthcareBusiness #Biotechnology #ChinaMarket #CorporateSuccession #KoreanBusiness #ChairmanProfile
  NEWS
  - • The Pioneer of Family-in-Law Management, TAM Chul Gon: Will He Make Bio the 'Next Choco Pie' of Orion?
- CEO of GS P&L
  Park Min-su
  
  Park Min-su is CEO of GS P&L. He faces the task of “making full-fledged results visible” in the second year since the company’s launch. He was born in September 1970. He graduated from Sogang University with a degree in economics. He worked at GS Home Shopping as head of the investment management division. He moved to GS Retail, where he served as head of the management support division, and later worked at GS Networks as head of the management support group. In March 2026, he was selected as CEO of GS P&L. He contributed to improving business support capabilities and streamlining financial structures at GS Group’s major retail and logistics affiliates. #ParkMinsu #GSPNL #GSGroup #CEO #retail #logistics #GSHomeShopping #GSRetail #GSNetworks #businessmanagement

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