[Asia Exclusive] CEO Park Yeon Transforms from Securitiesman to Fashionman... Rises as No.1 Leader in Children's Wear

21 Years in Securities Industry
Connection with LF Chairman Koo Bon-geol Since 2009
Expertise in Men's, Women's, and Children's Fashion

Asia Exclusive_ Park Yeon, CEO of Western Networks. / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-sun] After taking his first step into society in 1988, he lived as a "securities man" for 21 years. He joined LG Investment & Securities (now NH Investment & Securities) and was in charge of investment banking (IB) and corporate sales at Prudential Securities and others. The reason why financial expert CEO Park Yeon suddenly appeared in the fashion market is due to his connection with Koo Bon-geol, chairman of LF. When CEO Park was an IB deputy manager at LG Investment & Securities, Chairman Koo was his direct superior. Chairman Koo recognized Park’s abilities and recruited him, and the decision was accurate. CEO Park joined in 2009 as head of sales for the ladies' casual division. At that time, department stores and other retailers were in the position of "Gap (甲)," while fashion companies and other manufacturers were in the position of "Eul (乙)." Strict hierarchy was enforced, allowing meetings only between the same ranks. If a brand’s power declined, it was practically treated like "leftover rice." CEO Park broke the hierarchy first. He said, "The core of sales is people," and added, "You must think and act from the other party’s perspective first to maintain long-term relationships."

He stood out as a fashion professional executive after serving as the head of the sales division. From 2016, he served as CEO of Pastel Sesang, a children’s clothing subsidiary of LF, for four years, and from 2017, he concurrently served as CEO of Trybons, a men’s shirt specialist company. CEO Park enhanced his understanding of the children’s clothing market following women’s and men’s wear, gaining high expertise across the entire fashion market. He played a leading role in successfully entering the Chinese market with the children’s clothing brand "Hazzys Kids," establishing it as the top-selling imported brand in China. Based on his broad experience covering e-commerce, brand management, purchasing, distribution, and supply chain management (SCM), he also introduced efficient sales systems and differentiated customer management systems and programs. Starting this year, he has taken the helm of Seoyang Networks, the number one company in the children’s clothing industry. Seoyang Networks owns brands such as Bluedog, Minkview, Allobot, and the select shop Little Ground.

CEO Park said, "Securities companies judge by the numbers created by companies, but companies have to create those numbers," adding, "Fashion is an industry heavily influenced by external factors like trends and climate, so there is no clear answer, making it always difficult." He continued, "We must view all matters from the customer’s perspective," and said, "We will develop internal capabilities to approach customers."