Life Summary
Kang Jeong-seok is the chairman of Dong-A Socio Holdings Co., Ltd. and serves as the chair of the Sustainability Committee (CSO).

He was born on October 30, 1964.

He is the grandson of the late founder of Dong-A Pharmaceutical, Kang Jung-hee, and the fourth son of honorary chairman Kang Shin-ho, making him a third-generation owner. From an early age, he was identified as a successor and received management training.

Kang graduated from Chungang University with a degree in philosophy and earned a master's degree in pharmacy from Sungkyunkwan University.

He joined Dong-A Pharmaceutical in 1989 and held various positions, including team leader of the Management Control Team and head of the Medical Business Division. He also served as president of Dong-A Otsuka and vice president of Dong-A Pharmaceutical. In 2013, he became the CEO of Dong-A Socio Holdings, and in January 2017, he was appointed chairman.

However, just seven months after becoming chairman, in August 2017, Kang Jeong-seok was arrested on charges of embezzling company funds and providing kickbacks. He was released in 2020 but faced a five-year employment restriction, making it difficult for him to return to management for over six years.

On August 15, 2023, he was reinstated through a special pardon on Liberation Day, and in September 2023, with the board’s approval, he was appointed chair of the Sustainability Committee (CSO), marking his return to management activities.

He now faces the challenge of establishing his presence as a third-generation leader, stepping out from under the shadow of his father, who created the formula "Dong-A Pharmaceutical = Korea's No. 1 Pharmaceutical Company."

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