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

- President of Dongguk University
  Yun Jae-woong
  
  Yun Jae-woong is the president of Dongguk University. He was born in 1961 in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from Yongsan High School in Seoul and majored in Korean Language and Literature at Dongguk University. He later earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Korean literature from the university’s graduate school. Yun was appointed professor in the Department of Korean Language Education at Dongguk University, where he also served as head of the Strategic Public Relations Office, dean of the College of Education, and dean of the Graduate School of Education. In January 2023, he was appointed president of Dongguk University. He has been pursuing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) with small and medium-sized universities in the Seoul metropolitan area and is focused on expanding enrollment in cutting-edge technology fields. Yun is the last disciple of poet Seo Jeong-ju, also known as Midang, and a dedicated researcher of his works. He has served as president of the Dongak Society of Language and Literature and the Literature and Environment Society, and currently works as secretary general of the Midang Memorial Society. #DonggukUniversity #YunJaeWoong #universitypresident #Tongyeong #Koreanliterature #SeoJeongju #Midang #highereducation #universityM&A #technologyexpansion
- Chairman of the Fair Trade Commission
  Ju Biung-ghi
  
  Ju Biung-ghi is the first chairman of the Fair Trade Commission under the Lee Jae-myung administration. He is working on institutional reforms and policy initiatives to establish a fair market order and consumer sovereignty, which are key national tasks of the Lee administration. He was born on August 6, 1969, in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province. He graduated from Moonil High School in Seoul and the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. He earned a master’s degree in economics from the graduate school of Seoul National University and later received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Rochester in the United States. As head of the Center for Distributive Justice Studies at the Institute of Economic Research, Seoul National University, he focused on research in the fields of “distribution” and “fair economy” in Korea. He has served as president of the Korea Applied Economics Association, president of the Korean Social Science Research Council, and director of the Korean Economic Association. In August 2025, he was nominated by President Lee Jae-myung as chairman of the Fair Trade Commission. #JuBiungghi #FairTradeCommission #LeeJaemyung #economist #fairmarket #consumerrights #distributionjustice #SouthKorea #publicpolicy #economicreform
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Philenergy
  Kim Kwang-il
  
  Kim Kwang-il is Vice Chairman and CEO of Philenergy. He was born on December 7, 1961, in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from Busan High School and earned a degree in mechanical design from Seoul National University. He went on to receive both his master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He began his career at Samsung Electro-Mechanics and later served as head of the Production Technology Research Institute, Central Research Institute, and Production Technology Center at Samsung SDI. He was then recruited as CEO of Philoptics, and in 2022, following a corporate spin-off, he was appointed CEO of Philenergy. He is a battery engineer who spearheaded the industry’s evolution from small secondary batteries to lithium-ion batteries. Currently, he is focusing on strengthening competitiveness by positioning winding machines, a core piece of equipment for manufacturing next-generation 4680 cylindrical batteries, as a new growth driver. #Philenergy #KimKwangil #battery #4680 #cylindricalbattery #SamsungSDI #Philoptics #lithiumion #secondarybattery #energystorage
- CEO of Orum Therapeutics
  Lee Sung-joo
  
  Lee Sung-joo is the CEO of Orum Therapeutics. He was born on December 8, 1974. After majoring in biochemistry at Yonsei University, he earned a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed a two-year postdoctoral research program in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University. He joined LG Life Sciences as a researcher and later moved to Sanofi, where he served as Head of R&D for Asia-Pacific and Korea. In 2016, he founded Orum Therapeutics, a company dedicated to researching and developing degrader-antibody conjugates (DAC). He is regarded as a symbolic figure who demonstrated the potential for domestic biotech companies in new drug development to strike major deals with global pharmaceutical firms. He now faces the challenges of securing clinical success and continuously expanding the company’s pipeline. #OrumTherapeutics #LeeSungjoo #biotech #drugdevelopment #pharma #DAC #YonseiUniversity #UCBerkeley #Stanford #Sanofi #LGScience
- Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
  Kim Yun-duk
  
  Kim Yun-duk is the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. As the first minister to lead the ministry under the Lee Jae-myung administration, he is dedicated to implementing the new government’s inaugural “Housing Supply Expansion Plan,” which aims to deliver 1.35 million homes in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area by 2030. He is also focusing on reforming the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), centered on direct implementation, and on establishing stronger systems to prevent recurring safety accidents at construction sites. He was born on May 23, 1966, in Buan County, North Jeolla Province. He graduated from Dongam High School in North Jeolla and earned a degree in accounting from Chonbuk National University. In 2000, he began his political career as co-representative of Citizens’ Action 21 and later served as a member of the 8th North Jeolla Provincial Council. He went on to serve as president of the North Jeolla Economic and Trade Promotion Agency and has been elected to the National Assembly for Jeonju A District in the 19th, 21st, and 22nd terms. Within his party, he has held several key posts, including deputy floor leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, chairman of the North Jeolla chapter of the Democratic Party, chief special advisor to the party leader, and secretary general. In the National Assembly, he has served on the Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting and Communications Committee; the Education, Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee; the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts; the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee; and as secretary of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. #KimYunduk #MOLIT #LeeJaemyung #housingpolicy #LHreform #constructionsafety #Korea #NationalAssembly #DemocraticParty #publicpolicy
- CEO of Musinsa
  Cho Man-ho
  
  Cho Man-ho is the CEO of Musinsa. He is working to enhance Musinsa’s corporate value as the company prepares for an IPO. He was born in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, in August 1983. He graduated from Dankook University with a degree in Fashion Design. While still a senior in high school, he created and managed an online community on Freechal called “A Place with a Lot of Shoe Pictures,” which later became the foundation of Musinsa. After graduating from high school, he founded Musinsa.com and launched Musinsa Magazine, which focused on shoe-related content. In 2009, he established Musinsa Store. He is often described as “the Jeff Bezos of Korea’s fashion industry” and “a leader of mutual growth.” #Musinsa #ChoManho #fashion #ecommerce #IPO #startup #Kfashion #entrepreneur #corporatevalue #management
  NEWS
  - • Cho Man-ho’s Calculated Alarm—The Unsettling Math Beneath Musinsa’s Shining Results
  - • Cho Man-ho's Strong First Year Back at Musinsa Hits a Snag, Emergency Management to Boost IPO Valuation
- Vice Chairman and CEO
  Jang Seung-kook
  
  Jang Seung-kook is Vice Chairman and CEO of BTRCEL. He was born in March 1962. He graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a degree in English Language and Literature. He began his career at Daewoo Group through open recruitment and later served as head of Daewoo Electronics’ European subsidiary. He then moved to Ire Electronics as Executive Vice President before joining BTRCEL. In 2008, he was appointed President and CEO of BTRCEL, and in January 2024, he was promoted to Vice Chairman. He is recognized for his resilience and drive in turning crises into opportunities. He aims to foster a corporate culture that values people. He is focusing on expanding the company’s global presence and entering the secondary battery business. He faces challenges such as managing risks in new technology commercialization and enhancing global competitiveness. He also oversees the management of BTRMILTec, an affiliated company. #BTRCEL #JangSeungkook #secondarybattery #globalmarket #corporateculture #resilience #technologycommercialization #competitiveness #affiliatedcompany #leadership
- President of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
  Park Jeong-woon
  
  Park Jeong-woon serves as president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He was born on March 20, 1960. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and went on to receive a master’s degree in English from its graduate school. He later obtained both a master’s and a doctoral degree in linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley. He began his academic career as a full-time lecturer at Seowon University in North Chungcheong Province and, in 1996, returned to his alma mater as a professor in the Department of English at HUFS. He has held various key positions, including director of the Institute of Language Research, head of the Office of External Affairs, director of the Foreign Language Examination (FLEX) Center, and dean of the College of English. Externally, he has served as president of the Discourse and Cognitive Linguistics Society of Korea and vice president of the International Society of Korean Language and Culture. Elected through a direct vote, he initiated sweeping restructuring measures immediately upon taking office. He has also worked to promote closer integration of the Seoul Campus and the Global Campus (formerly Yongin Campus) into a single, unified institution.
- Chairman and CEO of Eduwill
  Yang Hyung-nam
  
  Yang Hyung-nam is the Chairman and CEO of Eduwill. He returned as CEO in 2024 after eight years, to revive the company that had fallen into capital erosion following two consecutive years of losses. He was born on August 3, 1962, in Seoul. He graduated from Hanyang University with a degree in English Language and Literature. He received a master’s degree in Digital SME Management from Hansung University Graduate School and completed a doctoral program in Human Resource Development Policy at Chung-Ang University Graduate School. In 1992, he founded the National Examination Education Center, which later became Eduwill. In 2016, he stepped down from frontline management to serve as Chairman of the Eduwill Social Contribution Committee, before returning as Chairman and CEO in 2024. He developed Eduwill into a leading comprehensive education company in Korea. He is now focusing on attracting investment to foster future growth businesses. #YangHyungnam #Eduwill #education #CEO #leadership #Seoul #investment #businessstrategy #Korea #growth
- CEO of Aton
  Kim Jong-seo
  
  Kim Jong-seo is the CEO of Aton. He is leading the company’s growth in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven cybersecurity operations and quantum computing solutions. He was born on March 27, 1969. He graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies with a degree in Electronic Computing (now the Department of Computer Engineering) and earned a master’s degree in Computer Science from the university’s Graduate School of Electronic Computing. He began his career at Daou Technology in the Financial Business Division. In 2000, he founded AT Solution, the predecessor of Aton. He drove innovation in financial IT by introducing Korea’s first mobile securities trading service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he opened up the private certification market with services such as PASS, which were widely used nationwide. #Aton #KimJongseo #AI #Cybersecurity #QuantumComputing #Fintech #PASS #FinancialIT #Innovation #MobileTrading

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