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

- CEO of Samsung Card
  Kim Yi-Tae
  
  Kim Yi-tae is the CEO of Samsung Card. He is focusing on strengthening Samsung Card’s digital capabilities and discovering new growth drivers for the future. He was born on February 22, 1966, in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do. He graduated from Masan Gyeongsang High School and Seoul National University with a degree in Business Administration. He received a master’s degree in Business Administration from Seoul National University Graduate School and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He began his public service career at the Ministry of Finance after passing the 36th Higher Civil Service Examination. He later worked as Director of the Sovereign Wealth Management Division at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and served as an advisor in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He moved to Samsung Electronics, where he held positions as Executive in charge of the IR Group, Head of the Strategy Group, Head of the Global Communications Group, and Head of the External Affairs Team. In 2023, he was appointed CEO of Samsung Venture Investment. After becoming President of Samsung Card in November 2024, he was appointed CEO of Samsung Card in March 2025. He is known for his quick ability to learn and for having many ideas. #SamsungCard #KimYiTae #Samsung #CEO #Finance #DigitalTransformation #CorporateLeadership #IMF #SamsungElectronics #VentureInvestment
- Chairman of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea (Saemaul Geumgo)
  Kim In
  
  Kim In is the Chairman of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea (Saemaul Geumgo). He is focusing on normalizing insolvent project financing (PF) business sites and improving the financial structure of Saemaul Geumgo. He was born on November 6, 1952. He graduated from Kyungbok High School in Seoul and the College of Education at Seoul National University. He served as Chairman of Namdaemun Market Co., Ltd. and Chairman of Namdaemun Saemaul Geumgo. After serving as Vice Chairman of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea, he took on the role of Acting Chairman. Following the resignation of former Chairman Park Cha-hoon, he was elected in a by-election and assumed the position of Chairman of the National Credit Union Federation of Korea in December 2023. He was re-elected in the December 2025 election. He is focusing on restoring the fundamental values of cooperatives and strengthening the role of social solidarity finance. #SaemaulGeumgo #KimIn #KoreaFinance #CooperativeFinance #PFcrisis #FinancialReform #CreditUnion #SocialFinance #KoreaEconomy #Leadership
  NEWS
  - • Will KFCC Chairman Kim In Seek Reappointment? Key Lies in Profitability Recovery and Ties with Interior Ministry
- Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Hi-Mart
  Nam Chang-hee
  
  Nam Chang-hee is Vice Chairman and CEO of Lotte Hi-Mart. He also serves as Chairman of the Board. He is focusing on improving the company’s structure to overcome the downturn in the home appliance retail industry. He was born on October 30, 1966. He graduated from Seoul Hwagok High School and the Department of German Language and Literature at Hanyang University. After joining Lotte Mart, he worked as head of the advertising and promotion team, managing director of the home appliance team, and head of the marketing office. After being promoted to an executive position, he held all major key posts in Lotte Shopping’s Mart Division (Lotte Mart), including head of the merchandise division, head of the marketing division, head of the merchandise headquarters, head of the marketing headquarters, head of the MD headquarters, and head of the customer headquarters. In December 2019, he was appointed as head of Lotte Shopping’s Super Division (CEO of Lotte Super) as a turnaround specialist and focused on improving the company’s structure. At the time, it drew attention that he was the only “Lotte Man” among the heads of Lotte Shopping’s various business divisions. At the end of 2022, he was appointed CEO of Lotte Hi-Mart. He is putting effort into transforming the business structure from one centered on home appliance sales to one focused on home appliance care services. He is also working to strengthen private brands to improve profitability. #LotteHiMart #NamChanghee #LotteGroup #RetailStrategy #ApplianceIndustry #BusinessTransformation #PrivateBrand #CEOProfile #KoreaBusiness #RetailInnovation
- CEO of SD Biosensor
  Lee Hyo-keun
  
  Lee Hyo-keun is the CEO of SD Biosensor. He is focusing his capabilities on building distribution networks in North America. He is also accelerating efforts to improve the company’s business structure by localizing global production bases and expanding non-COVID product lines. He was born on October 12, 1963, in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. He graduated from Yushin High School in Gyeonggi and earned a degree in chemical engineering from Ajou University. He worked at Yuhan Cyanamid for 10 years. He later moved to SD (now Abbott Diagnostics Korea), where he served as executive vice president in charge of the glucose business division. In 2010, he was appointed CEO of SD Biosensor. He is an expert in the in vitro diagnostics field. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he increased SD Biosensor’s revenue to nearly KRW 3 trillion (US$ 2.2 billion) by expanding the company’s share in overseas markets. #SDBiosensor #LeeHyoKeun #diagnostics #COVID19 #globalexpansion #NorthAmerica #biotech #healthcare #IVD #KoreaBusiness
- Chairman of LS Group
  Koo Ja-eun
  
  Koo Ja-eun is Chairman of LS Group. He is striving to expand production capacity in the group’s core power equipment business and to create concrete results in future growth businesses such as batteries, electric vehicles, and semiconductors, with the goal of raising group assets to KRW 50 trillion (US$ 36.0 billion) by 2030. In line with the group’s unique tradition of “cousin management,” he is leading the group until 2029 and serving as a bridge to the era of the “third generation of owners” afterward. He was born in Seoul on October 18, 1964, as the third of four children, with one son and three daughters, of Koo Du-hoe, Honorary Chairman of Yesco Holdings. He graduated from Hongik University High School in Seoul and from the business administration department at Benedictine University in the United States. He completed an MBA program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in the United States. He joined LG Caltex Oil and later moved to LG Electronics. When LS Group separated from LG Group, he moved to LS Electric. At LS Cable, he served as head of the Injection System Business Division and head of the Communications Business Headquarters, and after serving as executive vice president of LS-Nikko Copper, he became CEO and President of LS Cable in 2012. After serving as CEO of LS Mtron, he took office as chairman in 2022. Since the LG days, he has broadened his insight by working across various affiliates in different fields, and at LS Group he has continued to advance as a manager, renewing record-high performances on the back of strong conditions in the group’s key businesses. He places importance on a horizontal organizational culture and is making diverse and unconventional attempts to change the typically conservative atmosphere of the power industry. He is showing leadership marked by soft charisma. Within the group, he is recognized as an overseas sales expert who is fluent in foreign languages such as English, Chinese, and Japanese. There were no major typos in the original Korean text, but “1남3녀 가운데 셋째” could sound slightly awkward in English if translated literally, so it was rendered naturally as “the third of four children, with one son and three daughters.” #LSGroup #KooJaeun #LSChairman #Koreabusiness #powerequipment #batterybusiness #electricvehicles #semiconductorindustry #cousinmanagement #Koreanchaebol
  NEWS
  - • Koo Ja-eun Building LS's Future with Ambidextrous Management, But Market Disconnect Remains a Blemish
  - • LS Group Expands Battery and Electric Vehicle Business Portfolio as New Growth Engines
- CEO of Pulmuone
  Lee Woo-bong
  
  Lee Woo-bong is the CEO of Pulmuone. He is focusing on exploring overseas markets for the company’s second leap forward and globalizing K-food. He was born on October 27, 1962, in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. He graduated from Simseok High School in Namyangju and earned a degree in accounting from Kangwon National University. He completed an MBA course at Dongguk University Graduate School of Business. He joined Pulmuone and worked as head of the business support office at Pulmuone Saemmul, and as head of the management support office, head of the strategic purchasing office, and head of the foodservice business division at Pulmuone Foodmerce. After serving as head of the management support office at Pulmuone Foods, he was appointed CEO of Pulmuone Food and Culture in 2019. Since 2025, he has served as CEO of Pulmuone. He is the first CEO in the company’s history to come from an open recruitment background. #LeeWoo-bong #Pulmuone #KFood #globalexpansion #CEO #foodindustry #KoreaBusiness #PulmuoneCEO #overseasmarkets #corporateprofile
- President of Pusan National University
  Choi Jae-weon
  
  Choi Jae-weon is the President of Pusan National University. He was born in 1965. He is working to implement AI transformation in line with the times and to push forward the long-standing goal of establishing a veterinary school at the university. He graduated from Busan Dongsung High School and the Department of Control and Instrumentation Engineering at Seoul National University. He received both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Control and Instrumentation Engineering from the graduate school of Seoul National University. He was appointed as a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Pusan National University. He served as Director of the Office of Planning, Head of the Institute of Mechanical Technology, Director of the Engineering Education Innovation Center, and Head of the Accreditation Center, before holding positions as Dean of the College of Engineering, Dean of the Graduate School of Industry, Dean of the Graduate School of Environment, and Dean of the Graduate School of Technology Entrepreneurship. He was elected as President in 2024. He has served as Director of the Engineering Education Innovation Leading Center under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, President of the Korean Society of Control, Robotics and Systems, and President of the National Council of Engineering College Deans. He is also serving as Co-Chair of the Busan Science and Technology Council, Co-Chair of the Busan City RISE Committee, and President of the Association of National and Public University Presidents. He is a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. #PusanNationalUniversity #ChoiJaeweon #UniversityPresident #AITRANSFORMATION #HigherEducation #EngineeringLeadership #KoreaAcademia #UniversityAdministration #Busan #EngineeringEducation
- CEO of MNC Solution
  Kim Byeong-geun
  
  Kim Byeong-geun is the CEO of MNC Solution. He is working to expand the company's influence in the global defense market while also broadening its business scope into the aerospace sector. He was born in August 1969. He graduated from Jeonbuk National University with a degree in accounting. He began his career at Kumho Tire and served as executive managing director in charge of planning. He joined MNC Solution as vice president and was appointed CEO in August 2024. He is credited with laying the groundwork for the company’s shift from a defense-specialized firm to a global motion control solutions company. He also faces the task of easing growing market concerns as the company’s largest shareholder, a private equity fund, is pursuing a stake sale. #KimByeonggeun #MNCSolution #defenseindustry #globaldefense #motioncontrol #aerospace #Koreanceo #privateequity #stakesale #corporateprofile
- CEO of Hanwha Energy
  Lee Jae-kyu
  
  Lee Jae-kyu is CEO of Hanwha Energy. He is focused on securing a stable revenue structure for Hanwha Energy, which will serve as a source of funds for the owner family's succession process. He was born in April 1971. He graduated from Seodaejeon High School and Korea University, where he majored in trade. After joining Hanwha, he worked at Hanwha Q CELLS as head of the sales planning team, head of global EPC, and head of the U.S. GES business division. After moving to Hanwha Energy and serving as head of the planning office, he went on to serve as an auditor at Hanwha TotalEnergies and was appointed CEO and President of Hanwha Energy in 2024. He enjoys strong trust from the Hanwha owner family. #HanwhaEnergy #LeeJaeKyu #HanwhaGroup #CEO #KoreanBusiness #EnergyIndustry #CorporateLeadership #SuccessionStrategy #HanwhaQCELLS #BusinessProfile
- CEO of Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance
  Kim Jung-hyeon
  
  Kim Jung-hyeon is the CEO of Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance. He is pursuing a strategy to expand sales centered on long-term personal insurance. He is also seeking to expand the business into pet insurance and lifestyle-focused insurance products. He was born on February 13, 1977. He graduated from Daegu Daeryun High School and Seoul National University, where he majored in business administration. He worked as a consultant at A.T. Kearney before moving to Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance in 2015. He served as head of the Change Innovation TFT Part, head of the Auto Insurance Team, head of the Product Strategy Office, and head of the Management Support Office before being appointed CEO in 2023. Along with Kang Byung-kwan, CEO of Shinhan EZ General Insurance, he became the youngest chief executive in the non-life insurance industry. A note on the original Korean text: “김중현Kim Jung-hyeon은” appears to be missing a space between the Korean name and the English name. Also, “최고경영자” can be translated as “CEO” or “chief executive,” and I rendered it in a natural news style. #MeritzFireAndMarineInsurance #KimJunghyeon #insurance #nonlifeinsurance #longterminsurance #petinsurance #lifestyleinsurance #CEO #Koreainsurance #Meritz

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