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Succession Watch In series
Profiles of the next generation driving Korea’s economy forward, from chaebol heirs to self-made founders
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Succession Watch In series
Profiles of the next generation driving Korea’s economy forward, from chaebol heirs to self-made founders
Would you like to subscribe?
Two sisters, one beauty empire: Amorepacific’s succession question
Few names have done more to globalize Korean beauty than Amorepacific. Even as a new generation of K-beauty brands nips at its heels, Chairman Suh Kyung-bae made clear he was not sitting on his laurels at the company's 80th anniversary event last year, doubling down on what he calls "new beauty." "As creators of beauty, we aim to present a distinctive vision of beauty to the world, one that arises from the harmony of body and mind, and transcends age and time," he said, throwing in a target of 1
May 18, 2026 - 17:19:30
Samyang heir faces post-Buldak test
Calling Samyang Foods’ Buldak a game changer might not be sufficient to comprehensively describe the impact of its megahit spicy instant noodle brand on the Korean ramyeon maker. On the back of strong Buldak sales in recent years across the globe, Samyang Foods’ annual revenue nearly quadrupled over the past five years while its market capitalization jumped by almost 20 times. Although the company’s short-term outlook seems promising as its sales and operating profit continue growing, eyes are o
April 19, 2026 - 18:57:44
Hanwha scion makes finance his proving ground
Kim Dong-won’s place in Hanwha Group’s succession story has become clearer over the past year, even if it remains distinct from that of his brothers. Rather than competing for the group’s industrial center of gravity, the 40-year-old president and chief global officer of Hanwha Life Insurance is carving out a lane of his own through finance. That lane may be narrower, but it is hardly small. Hanwha Life sits at the center of what the group presents as Hanwha Finance, linking the insurer with Han
April 9, 2026 - 17:08:01
Shin Sang-yeol eyes future spicier than Shin Ramyun
Forty years have passed since Shin Ramyun first hit shelves, and to mark the occasion, Nongshim hatched a mascot in March, fittingly named Shin. Yet perhaps the more consequential Shin took his seat in the boardroom around the same time: Shin Sang-yeol, the eldest son of Chair Shin Dong-won and grandson of the late founder, Shin Choon-ho. Just as the mascot embodies both the company's proud legacy and its global ambition, so does Shin, charged with building a food portfolio diverse enough to mat
April 5, 2026 - 13:47:52
Orion heir hunts for the next Choco Pie
For Tam Suh-won, the 36-year-old heir of major Korean confectionery company Orion, one thing has been crystal clear among various snack industry stakeholders: He has a noticeably large, muscular body, and he must be lifting some serious weights. On top of his big physique, Tam’s presence at Orion has been jacked up as he was promoted to executive vice president at the end of last year. The third-generation scion’s ascent to upper-level management comes at a time when Orion is tightening its grip
March 29, 2026 - 10:28:56
From space to seabed: Kim Dong-kwan’s global gambit for Hanwha
Ever since Kim Dong-kwan formally debuted at Hanwha Group in 2010, his every move has been under watchful eyes. Industry analysts have long questioned whether the young heir is merely another silver-spoon scion or a leader capable of steering the 70-year-old defense-to-energy giant into its next chapter. Kim, the eldest son of Hanwha Group Chair Kim Seung-youn, spent the past 16 years beating back industry-wide cynicism through performance. Since stepping into a managerial role at Hanwha at age
March 13, 2026 - 13:37:05
Shin Yoo-yeol steps into spotlight as Lotte’s biotech bet tests heir
The message from Chairman Shin Dong-bin at the start of this year was blunt and poignant: Lotte Group cannot preserve its empire without shedding old habits. That mandate for renewed innovation and tighter capital discipline now seems to fall squarely on his eldest son, Shin Yoo-yeol, at the helm of the group’s future-growth agenda. Just three months after the 39-year-old took charge of Lotte Biologics, the conglomerate’s contract development and manufacturing arm, expectations are gathering aro
March 8, 2026 - 17:03:32
A science-trained heir charts SK’s biotech future beyond chips
SK heir Chey Yoon-chung is not one to stand still. “She likes to run and actively joins SK Biopharmaceuticals’ in-house running crew. She even competed in a company-wide rowing event," an industry official said of Chey, the eldest daughter of SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won. "During a business trip to the BIO International Convention 2025 in Boston last year, she ran at dawn with colleagues.” Such details offer a glimpse of a corporate heir who operates alongside employees rather than apart from the
March 2, 2026 - 14:05:21
Seo Jin-seok faces defining test at Celltrion
Celltrion's near-term outlook looks solid. The Korean biosimilar giant has just posted its strongest annual earnings on record, underscoring the resilience of its core portfolio. But beyond the upbeat numbers lies a more consequential test. Seo Jin-seok, the 42-year-old CEO and eldest son of founder and Chair Seo Jung-jin, must now prove he can drive Celltrion's next growth engine by advancing its new drug pipelines and expanding its global footprint. In January, Seo stepped onto the main stage
Feb. 19, 2026 - 11:12:07
Hanwha's youngest scion charts bold course in future-focused ventures
While Hanwha Group cements its status as a major Korean conglomerate with core strengths in defense, shipbuilding and finance, Kim Dong-seon — the third son of Hanwha Group Chair Kim Seung-youn — is making his mark in sectors seen as peripheral to that industrial base. Though he does not run the group's headline-making divisions, the youngest scion has taken on a sharper role since January, when Hanwha Machinery & Service Holdings was launched to oversee the group's technology and lifestyle affi
Feb. 8, 2026 - 10:39:46
Lee Sun-ho emerges as CJ’s next strategist
The future of Korea’s largest food and entertainment conglomerate, CJ Group, is increasingly tied to Lee Sun-ho, a 35-year-old scion who returned to the group’s holding firm CJ Corp. in September last year and has since taken on a larger strategic role as head of its future planning group. Lee, the only son of CJ Group Chair Lee Jay-hyun, rejoined CJ’s top decision-making circle as the conglomerate underwent a broad organizational reshuffle aimed at strengthening strategic control. The group rec
Jan. 26, 2026 - 13:35:34
