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

- CEO of TXR Robotics
  Um In-sup
  
  Um In-sup is the CEO of TXR Robotics. He is accelerating the company’s transition into an intelligent robot total solution provider. He was born in June 1975. He entered Korea University as a mathematics major and completed a double major in industrial systems and information engineering. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees in industrial systems and information engineering from the Korea University Graduate School. He worked as a senior researcher at the Hanjin Logistics Research Institute before moving to Samsung SDS, where he served as head of factory solutions in the Solutions Business Division and as head of the factory automation team. He was recruited as CEO of TXR Robotics in 2024. He is focusing on strengthening profitability, including reducing outsourcing processing costs. He is a technology-driven executive with long experience in the robotics and logistics automation fields. He values a balance between technology and business and has strong drive and execution skills. #UmInSup #TXRRobotics #robotics #automation #logisticsautomation #KoreaUniversity #factoryautomation #technologyCEO #industrialengineering #businessstrategy
- CEO-designate of Hyundai Everdigm
  Yoo Jae-ki
  
  Yoo Jae-ki is an Executive Vice President at Hyundai Everdigm and the CEO-designate. He aims to lead the company toward becoming a global specialty vehicle and heavy equipment enterprise within the Hyundai Department Store Group. He was born in November 1967. He graduated from Dankook University with a degree in accounting. He joined Hyundai Green Food and later moved to Hyundai Everdigm, where he served as Head of the Management Support Division as Senior Managing Director, and then as Head of Sales and concurrently Head of the Management Support Division, also as Senior Managing Director. In October 2025, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and named the next CEO of Hyundai Everdigm. He was recognized for his work capabilities at Hyundai Green Food and became Head of the Finance Team. After transferring to Hyundai Everdigm, he led both overall management and overseas market expansion, driving the company’s growth. In August 2025, he drew major attention within the group by signing a contract with the Iraqi government worth KRW 135.3 billion (US$ 97.3 million). #HyundaiEverdigm #YooJaeki #HyundaiDepartmentStoreGroup #heavyEquipment #specialtyVehicles #globalExpansion #IraqProject #corporateLeadership #KoreanBusiness #executiveProfile
- CEO of T-Robotics
  Ahn Seung-wook
  
  Ahn Seung-wook is the CEO of T-Robotics. He is focusing on developing robots that combine future core technologies such as AI, vision recognition, and human interfaces. He was born on August 19, 1961, in Daegu. He graduated from Simin High School in Daegu and the Department of Electronic Engineering at Kyungpook National University. He began his career as a researcher at the Korea Electronics Semiconductor Equipment Development Center, and accumulated nearly 20 years of R&D experience at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and the Mechatronics Center of Samsung Heavy Industries’ Daedeok Central Research Institute. In 2004, he founded TIES, now known as T-Robotics, the first Korean company specializing in vacuum robots for the semiconductor and display industries. He independently secured technology for transfer robots used in semiconductors, LCDs, and OLEDs. As a former researcher, he is known for his exceptional passion for technology. #AhnSeungwook #TRobotics #semiconductor #display #vacuumrobot #AIrobotics #mechatronics #Samsung #Koreantech #roboticsengineering
- Head of Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
  Yeo Han-koo
  
  Yeo Han-koo is the Trade Minister (Head of Trade Negotiations) at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. He has been actively leading U.S.-Korea tariff negotiations and other key talks to deliver trade results for the Lee Jae-myung administration. He also oversees the implementation of major trade pledges such as the New Southern Policy and New Northern Policy, which the Lee Jae-myung government promised to pursue. He was born on November 14, 1969, in Seoul. He graduated from Kyungdong High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Seoul National University. He received a master’s degree in public administration from the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University. He completed the MPA program at Harvard Kennedy School and the MBA program at Harvard Business School. After passing the 36th Higher Civil Service Examination, he mainly handled trade-related work at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (now the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy). He was appointed the third Head of Trade Negotiations under the Moon Jae-in administration. After the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, he left public office and served as a visiting professor at Seoul National University Business School, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in the United States, and a senior researcher at the Government Performance Lab at Harvard Kennedy School. After the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, he returned to public office as the Vice Minister-level Head of Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and also became the head of the U.S. Negotiations Task Force (TF). #YeoHankoo #KoreaTradePolicy #MOTIE #LeeJaemyung #USKoreaTariff #TradeNegotiations #NewSouthernPolicy #NewNorthernPolicy #HarvardKennedySchool #PetersonInstitute
- CEO of GC Genome
  Ki Chang-seok
  
  Ki Chang-seok is the CEO of GC Genome. He aims to expand the company’s presence in the Middle East, Japan, the United States, and other regions to reshape the paradigm of the global early-diagnosis market. He was born on November 7, 1969. He graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine. He earned a master’s degree in medicine from Korea University Graduate School and a doctorate in medicine from Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School. He worked as an intern (training physician) at Seoul National University Hospital and as a resident (clinical trainee) in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Samsung Medical Center. He served as the chief of pathology at the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital before being appointed a professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine. In 2018, he was recruited as CEO of GC Genome (then called GC Green Cross Genome), a company specializing in genomic analysis. He is a CEO with a background as a specialist in laboratory medicine. He places strong emphasis on technological innovation and research and development. #GCGenome #KiChangseok #earlydiagnosis #genomics #healthcare #laboratorymedicine #globalexpansion #medicaltechnology #innovation #biotech
- Advisor at Taekwang Industrial
  Lee Ho-jin
  
  Lee Ho-jin is a senior advisor at Taekwang Industrial. He is the former chairman of Taekwang Group and currently provides guidance on the company’s future strategic direction, although many expect that he will soon return to frontline management. He was born on December 8, 1962, in Busan as the youngest son among three sons and three daughters of Lee Im-yong, founder of Taekwang Industrial. He graduated from Daewon High School and Seoul National University with a degree in economics. He completed an MBA program at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management in the United States and finished the doctoral coursework in economics at New York University. He joined Heungkuk Life Insurance as a director and, after his father passed away in 1997, became CEO of Taekwang Industrial and Daehan Synthetic Fiber at the age of 35. After his maternal uncle Lee Ki-hwa stepped down as chairman and his eldest brother Lee Sik-jin, vice chairman, passed away due to illness, he inherited control of Taekwang Group in 2004 and became chairman. By actively pursuing mergers and acquisitions, he expanded Taekwang Group’s financial business into areas such as non-life insurance and securities, and in the media sector, he grew the company into the No. 1 cable TV operator. He was recognized as a second-generation owner with exceptional managerial ability who expanded the group’s overall scale. He was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust and served his full term. He remains entangled in multiple “legal risks” and is widely viewed as a figure who significantly damaged the public image not only of Taekwang Group but also of the broader business community due to major social controversies. #TaekwangGroup #TaekwangIndustrial #LeeHojin #KoreaBusiness #CorporateHistory #Chaebol #ManagementSuccession #MergersAndAcquisitions #LegalRisks #KoreanEconomy
  NEWS
  - • Can Taekwang Group Reclaim the "Lost Decade," and Will Lee Ho-jin Return to Management?
- CEO of Unison
  Park Won-seo
  
  Park Won-seo is the CEO and President of Unison. He is focusing on building a comprehensive platform for wind farm development. He is also strengthening the company’s global business foundation, including expansion into the Vietnamese wind power market. He was born on February 25, 1965. He graduated from Chungam High School in Seoul and the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. He received a master’s degree in economics from the Graduate School of Seoul National University and completed the MBA program at the KAIST Graduate School of Techno Management. He joined LG CNS as a Business Analyst in the Financial Business Division, then worked as a consultant in the Consulting Division at Andersen Consulting, and later served as an executive in charge of strategic planning at Royal Asset. He led renewable energy business development at ReneTech and later became head of the Wind Power Sales Group at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. After joining Unison, a renewable energy company that supplies wind power turbines, he was appointed CEO and President in March 2023. He also serves concurrently as CEO of its subsidiary Win&P. #Unison #ParkWonseo #windpower #renewableenergy #windfarm #Vietnammarket #globalbusiness #energyeconomy #turbines #KoreaIndustry
- President of Chosun University
  Kim Chun-sung
  
  Kim Chun-sung is the President of Chosun University. He was born in 1968. He graduated from the Department of Genetic Science at Chosun University and earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Genetic Science from the university’s graduate school. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minnesota Medical School in the United States before joining Chosun University as a professor in the Department of Basic Dental Science at the College of Dentistry. He has held several key positions at the university, including Director of the Technology Commercialization Center, Head of the LINC+ Project Group, Director of the Marine Healthcare Validation Center, Director of Research Affairs, Head of the Industry-Academia Cooperation Foundation, Director of Planning and Coordination, and Director of the University Innovation Project Support Center. He was elected President of Chosun University in 2023. Since Chosun University’s selection for the Ministry of Education’s Glocal University 30 initiative in 2025, he has been focusing on transforming the traditional senior-friendly industry into a high value-added industrial ecosystem that integrates AI, big data, biotechnology, and the humanities through the use of well-aging big data. #KimChunsung #ChosunUniversity #GlocalUniversity30 #AI #bigdata #biotech #wellaging #highereducation #leadership #innovation
- CEO of Hyundai Livart
  Min Wang-il
  
  Min Wang-il is the CEO of Hyundai Livart. He was born in March 1968. He graduated from Korea University with a degree in Business Administration. He began his career at Hyundai Department Store, where he served as Deputy General Manager of the Management Division, Managing Director of Accounting at the Management Support Division, and Managing Director of Finance. He later became Executive Director of the Corporate Strategy Office, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Hyundai Department Store Group, and Executive Vice President and Head of the Management Support Division. In October 2025, he was promoted to CEO and nominated as the head of Hyundai Livart. Known as a financial expert with extensive experience in accounting and finance, he has played a key role in facilitating Hyundai Department Store Group’s corporate mergers and acquisitions through his financial expertise. Upon taking office in January 2026, he is expected to accelerate Hyundai Livart’s drive to become the No. 1 company in the industry and improve profitability. #HyundaiLivart #HyundaiDepartmentStoreGroup #MinWangil #CEO #leadership #finance #M&A #retail #furniture #businessstrategy
- CEO of AprilBio
  Cha Sang-hun
  
  Cha Sang-hun is the CEO of AprilBio. He aims to build a global biotech company centered on platform technology. He was born in January 1963. After majoring in environmental science at Kangwon National University, he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in microbiology and immunology in the United States. While serving as a professor at the College of Biomedical Science at Kangwon National University, he founded AprilBio in 2013 with his students as a university-based startup. He holds SAFA, a platform technology that extends the half-life of therapeutic proteins. He is recognized as a strategy-oriented leader focused on technology. He is concentrating on advancing platform technology, expanding indications, and strengthening the global network. #AprilBio #ChaSanghun #biotech #platformtechnology #SAFA #immunology #KangwonNationalUniversity #biopharma #innovation #globalexpansion

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