Life Summary
Lee Ho-jin is the former chairman of Taekwang Group.

Born on December 8, 1962, in Busan, he is the third son of Lee Im-yong, the founder of Taekwang Industrial.

Lee graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Economics. He earned a master’s degree from Cornell University's Business School and completed the PhD coursework in Business Administration at New York University.

He began his career in management as a director at Heungkuk Life Insurance and went on to serve as the CEO of Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Synthetic Fiber.

After the passing of Taekwang Group Chairman Lee Im-yong, the chairmanship was initially passed to Lee Ki-hwa, Lee Im-yong’s brother-in-law and then vice chairman, while the eldest son, Lee Sik-jin, became vice chairman.

Following the resignation of Lee Ki-hwa in 2002 and the death of the eldest son, Lee Sik-jin, in 2003, Lee Ho-jin ascended to the chairmanship of Taekwang Group in 2004.

However, in 2011, Lee Ho-jin was arrested and charged with embezzlement and breach of trust involving KRW 140 billion (US$ 101 million). He resigned on February 10, 2012, following his indictment.

Lee was sentenced to prison but was released on medical bail and remained under trial for 7 years and 8 months. In June 2019, his sentence of three years in prison was finalized, and he was released in October 2021 after serving his term. In August 2023, he was granted a special pardon on Liberation Day.

Separately, in May 2024, police sought another arrest warrant for Lee on charges of creating slush funds amounting to tens of billions of won, but it was denied. As of November 2024, the prosecution's investigation is ongoing.

Once known as a "reclusive manager" for avoiding public exposure, Lee has frequently come into the public eye due to his repeated legal troubles, resulting in a tarnished reputation.

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