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

- Executive Director of the Management Support Team at Orion
  Dam Seo-won
  
  Dam Seo-won is Executive Director of the Management Support Team at Orion. He is gaining experience as a successor to the company’s leadership by overseeing practical tasks across Orion Group’s operations, including business strategy planning and management, global business support, and new growth initiatives. Born in 1989, he is the younger of two children of Orion Group Chairman Dam Chul-gon and Vice Chairwoman Lee Hwa-kyung. He earned a degree in Communications from New York University and completed an MBA at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management. Seo-won began his career at Kakao Enterprise before joining Orion in July 2021 as Senior Manager of the Management Control Division. He rose quickly through the ranks, becoming Senior Vice President of the Management Support Team in December 2022 and Executive Director in December 2024. As a board member of Orion’s biotech affiliate, Ligachem Bio, he is directly involved in major decision-making. He is known for his down-to-earth personality and open communication with employees, although he rarely appears at external events. #Orion #DamSeowon #heirs #succession #leadership #businessstrategy #globalbusiness #biotech #familybusiness #SouthKorea
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Engineering & Construction
  Park Hyun-chul
  
  Park Hyun-chul is the Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Engineering & Construction. He was brought in as a relief pitcher to Lotte E&C, which was facing a liquidity crisis due to the prolonged real estate downturn, and has since focused on improving the company’s financial structure. He was born on October 16, 1960, in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from Yeongnam High School in Daegu and majored in statistics at Kyungpook National University. After joining Lotte E&C, he worked at Lotte Group’s Management Coordination Office and Lotte Policy Coordination Office, later serving as Head of Business Operations at Lotte Property & Development. As CEO of Lotte Property & Development, he spearheaded the completion of Lotte World Tower, one of the group’s long-cherished projects. He later moved to Lotte Corporation, where he served as Head of the Business Restructuring Division, before being appointed CEO of Lotte E&C in 2022, succeeding former CEO Ha Seok-joo, and was promoted to Vice Chairman. He has spent nearly half of his career at the group’s control towers, the Lotte Policy Coordination Office and Lotte Corporation. Known for his attention to detail and field-oriented leadership, he has earned recognition for his crisis management capabilities. #Lotte #construction #realestate #ParkHyunchul #LotteE&C #leadership #crisismanagement #finance #LotteWorldTower #SouthKorea
  NEWS
  - • Lotte E&C’s Housing Dependence Grows Amid Rising Costs, Park Hyun-chul Aims for Turnaround
  - • Lotte E&C Nears Order Target, Park Hyun-chul Drives Turnaround and Growth
- CEO of Kakao Mobility
  Ryu Geung-seon
  
  Ryu Geung-seon is the CEO of Kakao Mobility. He is focusing on strengthening the competitiveness of the taxi platform business for an initial public offering (IPO) by expanding various mobility services based on the Kakao T mobile app. He was born in 1977. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in computer science. He began his career at Danal, where he became Head of the Development Division and later served as CEO in 2011. After joining Kakao Mobility, he was appointed co-CEO in 2019. He developed the world’s first mobile phone payment system. During the company’s expansion, he faced controversies over workplace bullying and allegations of algorithm manipulation. Despite a dismissal recommendation from the Financial Supervisory Service over suspected accounting fraud, he was reappointed. #KakaoMobility #RyuGeungseon #IPO #mobility #KakaoT #SouthKorea #ridesharing #technology #fintech #transportation
  NEWS
  - • Accounting Fraud Penalties Loom for Kakao Mobility Ahead of IPO, Ryu Geung-seon's Fate Hinges on 'Intent'
- Vice Chairman and CEO of LG Chem
  Shin Hak-cheol
  
  Shin Hak-cheol is the Vice Chairman and CEO of LG Chem. He is focusing his efforts on strengthening non-petrochemical businesses such as battery materials, eco-friendly materials, and global new drugs to grow LG Chem into a "top global science company." He was born on August 18, 1957, in a farming family in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province. He graduated from Cheongju High School and studied mechanical engineering at Seoul National University. Before graduating from college, he began his career as an engineer at Poongsan Metal Corporation. He later joined 3M Korea, worked at the Philippine subsidiary, and eventually moved to the U.S. headquarters. Starting as a regular employee at 3M Korea, he rose to become Executive Vice President overseeing 3M’s global operations, earning the nickname "Evangelist of Innovation." When LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo took office, Shin was recruited as Vice Chairman and CEO of LG Chem, and he succeeded in being reappointed for a third term in 2025. He is the first external professional manager in LG Chem’s history. He values "leadership based on fundamentals and principles" and emphasizes on-site management through active engagement in the field. In 2025, amid an industry downturn and an uncertain domestic and global environment, he pursued a selective and focused strategy for capital expenditures (CAPEX). He highlights innovation, learning, communication, and debate as essential qualities of leadership. #LG #LGchem #ShinHakcheol #CEO #leadership #battery #biotech #innovation #chemicals #globalstrategy
  NEWS
  - • LG Chem Sees Hope for Rebound in Q1, Shin Hak-cheol on Edge Amid Tariff War Uncertainty
  - • LG Chem’s Shin Hak-cheol Targets U.S. with Koo’s Battery Push, Aligns with Trump
- Chairman of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (Suhyup)
  Noh Dong-jin
  
  Noh Dong-jin is the chairman of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (Suhyup). He was born on November 13, 1954, in Jinhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, the son of an ark shell farmer. He graduated from Changshin University with a degree in Chinese language and literature. He worked in high-frequency heat treatment at the Changwon National Industrial Complex and also sold fish at Jagalchi Market in Busan. In 1984, he was selected as a successor in the fishing industry, and after his father passed away, he inherited the family ark shell farming business. He served as the head of the Jinhae Suhyup Cooperative. In 2023, he ran in the election for chairman of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and was elected. In 2025, he was re-elected as chairman of the Fisheries Committee of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). He is currently serving as a board member and chairman of the Fisheries Committee of the ICA, as well as chairman of the Korea Federation of Fisheries Industries. He is dedicated to preventing insolvency in member cooperatives and addressing the damages to the fishing industry caused by climate change. #NohDongjin #Suhyup #fisheries #cooperatives #ICA #arkShellFarming #JagalchiMarket #Changwon #climatechange #SouthKorea
- CEO of GFC Life Science
  Kang Hee-cheol
  
  Kang Hee-cheol is the CEO of GFC Life Science. He is strengthening the company’s research and development capabilities in materials such as exosomes and microbiomes. Based on this, he is accelerating efforts to enter global markets. He was born on May 21, 1967. He graduated from Kyung Hee University with a degree in chemistry and earned a Ph.D. in Applied Biotechnology from Ajou University. He worked as a researcher at several cosmetics companies, including Namyang Aloe (now Univera), Dongyang Cosmetics (now Welcos), and Intercotech. Noticing that Korea relied heavily on imports for cosmetic raw materials, he founded GFC Life Science (then called Recom Shopping) in 2002. Coming from a cosmetics research background, he places strong emphasis on research and development. He values people. #KangHeecheol #GFCLifeScience #CEO #exosome #microbiome #biotechnology #cosmetics #research #globalexpansion #leadership
- President of Sookmyung Women’s University
  Moon Si-yeun
  
  Moon Si-yeun is the president of Sookmyung Women’s University. She was born on September 11, 1965, in Seoul. She graduated from Eunkwang Girls’ High School in Seoul and earned her bachelor’s degree in French Language and Literature at Sookmyung Women’s University. She received a master’s degree in Theater Studies at Université Paris 3 – Nouvelle Sorbonne and later obtained her doctorate in Literature at the same university. She is an expert in French literature, particularly French theater. In 1997, she was appointed professor in the Department of French Language and Literature at Sookmyung Women’s University. She also served as president of the World Association for Hallyu Studies. During her candidacy for university president, she drew public attention by declaring, “Justice delayed is not justice,” pledging to promptly conclude the verification of Kim Kun-hee’s master’s thesis. #MoonSiyeun #Sookmyung #universitypresident #Frenchliterature #Frenchtheater #NouvelleSorbonne #Seoul #highereducation #Hallyu #academicjustice
- President and CEO of Sajo Daerim
  Kim Sang-hoon
  
  Kim Sang-hoon is the President and CEO of Sajo Daerim. He was born on October 5, 1961. He graduated from Soongmoon High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in Trade from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS). He also obtained a master’s degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) from the Graduate School of Business Information at HUFS. Kim joined Sajo Group in 2004, where he served as Head of Management Support at Sajo Haepyo and later as CEO of Sajo C&C, building his reputation as a financial expert within the group. In 2016, he was appointed President and CEO of Sajo Haepyo (now Sajo Daerim), and since 2022, he has also served as Chief of Food Business at Sajo Group. Kim has played a leading role in driving the group’s external growth through aggressive mergers and acquisitions (M&A), as well as in organizational integration to strengthen management fundamentals. He enjoys the full confidence of Chairman Joo Jin-woo and has been a key figure in succession planning for Vice Chairman Joo Ji-hong, the group’s third-generation heir.
- CEO of Antrogen
  Lee Sung-koo
  
  Lee Sung-koo is the CEO of Antrogen. He was born on July 25, 1954. He graduated from Yangjeong High School in Seoul and earned a degree in pharmacy from Seoul National University. He also received a master’s degree in pharmacy from the graduate school of Seoul National University. He worked as deputy manager in the development department of Korea Merica Industrial, and later as a pharmacist at Saesudo Pharmacy. He joined Bukwang Pharmaceutical, where he served as head of planning, executive director of planning, and in 2004 was appointed president and CEO of Bukwang Pharmaceutical. During his tenure, in 2006, he founded Antrogen and concurrently served as its president and CEO. In 2013, he left Bukwang Pharmaceutical to fully lead Antrogen. Through his career as a chemical industry developer, pharmacy pharmacist, and pharmaceutical company president, he strengthened his determination to take on challenges in new drug development. Based on the stem cell research experience he accumulated at Bukwang Pharmaceutical, he developed Cupistem, the world’s second stem cell therapy. He is known for his perseverance and focus. #LeeSungkoo #Antrogen #BukwangPharmaceutical #Cupistem #stemcelltherapy #pharmaceuticalindustry #drugdevelopment #biotechnology #Koreapharma #healthcare
- President and CEO of AutoCrypt
  Lee Seok-woo
  
  Lee Seok-woo is the President and CEO of AutoCrypt. He was born on December 22, 1968. He graduated from the Department of Industrial and Management Engineering at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and earned a master’s degree in Industrial Management from POSTECH. After gaining four years of experience at a software company, he founded Penta Security in 1997. In 2022, he spun off Penta Security’s automotive security business unit to establish AutoCrypt. He is focusing on securing talent in response to the strengthening of global automotive security regulations. He is also interested in improving profitability through restructuring the revenue model. He is concurrently serving as an adjunct professor in the Department of Industrial and Management Engineering at POSTECH. #LeeSeokwoo #AutoCrypt #PentaSecurity #cybersecurity #automotive #POSTECH #technology #spinoff #profitability #talentacquisition

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