Leading the Group for 42 Years Since 1959
"Nothing Is More Valuable Than Life"
Great Successes Like Bacchus and Zaidenna
Recognized as a Major Figure in Business... Condolences Continue from Various Fields
"Dr. Kang Sin-ho, may you rest in peace."
The entrance of the funeral hall at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the condolence room for Kang Shin-ho, Honorary Chairman of Dong-A Socio Group, has been set up. [Photo by Lee Myung-hwan]
On the morning of the 4th, a white-haired elderly gentleman visited the funeral hall set up at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to pay his respects at the bier of the late Kang Sin-ho, Honorary Chairman of Dong-A Socio Holdings. He conveyed his feelings for Chairman Kang through a handwritten letter carefully written in Chinese characters. The letter's author was Yoo Sang-ok, Chairman of Coreana Cosmetics. Chairman Yoo, a member of Dong-A Pharmaceutical's first public recruitment class, had a connection with the deceased through his career up to executive director and later founded Coreana Cosmetics. Chairman Yoo recalled, "In 1959, after Chairman Kang returned from studying in Germany, he conducted the first public recruitment, and I joined then as part of the first class. Thanks to Chairman Kang Sin-ho's wisdom, capable employees were recruited, and through education and training, the company expanded on a large scale."
The day before, the bier of Chairman Kang was set up in a calm atmosphere, with visitors continuously coming to pay their respects. Economic figures and acquaintances who had ties with the deceased during his lifetime visited the bier. On the morning of the same day, Yoon Sung-tae, Chairman of Huons Group, Won Hee-mok, former Chairman of the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association, Kim Cheol-soo, former Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Kim Hee-yong, Chairman of TYM, among others, came to offer condolences.
Kang Sin-ho, Honorary Chairman of Dong-A Socio Group, who passed away on the 3rd at the age of 96, was a senior economic figure representing not only the pharmaceutical and bio industries but also the Korean economy. Born in 1927 in Sangju, Gyeongbuk, he was the first son among one son and one daughter of the late Kang Jung-hee, founder of Dong-A Socio Group. After graduating from Seoul National University College of Medicine and earning a doctorate from the University of Freiburg in Germany, he led the company on-site for about 42 years from 1959 until stepping down from management in 2017.
Based on the belief that "there is no value greater than life," he devoted himself to improving public health through the advancement of pharmaceuticals. In 1980, he completed a modern factory in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, compliant with the Korean Good Manufacturing Practice (KGMP) standards, and in 1985, the company was the first in the industry to be designated with GMP facilities. In 1977, he established the industry's first corporate research institute, and in 1988, he set up a facility in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, meeting the Korean Good Laboratory Practice (KGLP) standards for testing new drug safety.
The Bacchus energy drink, developed by him in 1961, became a representative domestic fatigue recovery product and achieved great success in global markets. Bacchus laid the foundation for Dong-A Pharmaceutical to maintain its position as the number one pharmaceutical company in Korea for 47 years until the company transitioned to a holding company system in 2013. The fervor for new drug development, which intensified in the early 1990s, led to the creation of DA-125, the first synthetic Adriamycin derivative anticancer drug in 1991. He also led the birth of domestic new drugs such as Zydena, Korea's first and the world's fourth erectile dysfunction treatment, the super antibiotic Sibextro, and the diabetes treatment drug Suganon.
He focused on product development, talent cultivation, and social contribution. Dong-A Pharmaceutical began its first public recruitment in 1959, and in 1980, it became the first in the domestic pharmaceutical industry to establish a talent development center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, institutionalizing employee education. It was also his will to rename Dong-A Pharmaceutical Group to Dong-A Socio Group in 1994, using "Socio," which means "society." In 1987, he donated his personal wealth to establish the Suseok Cultural Foundation, supporting scholarship programs, lifelong education, and educational welfare projects.
The late Kang Shin-ho, Honorary Chairman of Dong-A Socio Group. [Photo provided by Dong-A Socio Group]
He also took the lead in the development of the economic sector. For 48 years, he was a member of Paljinhoe, a representative senior group of the pharmaceutical industry. Paljinhoe was a fellowship group formed in 1975 by eight major pharmaceutical company owner-managers in Korea to support the development of the pharmaceutical industry, with the meaning of "eight people moving forward together." Participants included Honorary Chairman Kang, Chairman Kim Seung-ho of Boryung, the late Honorary Chairman Lee Jong-ho of JW Choongwae Pharmaceutical, Chairman Yoon Won-young of Ildong Pharmaceutical, former Chairman Yoo Young-sik of the old Dongshin Pharmaceutical, the late Chairman Yoon Young-hwan of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, the late Chairman Uh Joon-sun of Anguk Pharmaceutical, and the late Chairman Heo Eok of Sama Pharmaceutical. The group held its final meeting in January this year and concluded its activities.
He was the first pharmaceutical industry executive to serve as chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries (now Korea Economic Association) and also served as chairman of the Korea Industrial Technology Association, striving to support technology development and lead government policies. During his tenure as the 29th and 30th chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, he successfully hosted the 2005 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit and presided over numerous exchange events with overseas business leaders, including Korea-US, Korea-China, and Korea-Japan business meetings. Ryu Jin, Chairman of the Korea Economic Association, said, "The chairman's spirit of respecting life and sharing, and his ever youthful and passionate entrepreneurial spirit, are precious legacies of our economic community. We, the juniors, will uphold and continue his noble will."
The funeral will be held as a Dong-A Socio Group group funeral, with the bier set up in Room 1 of the Seoul National University Hospital funeral hall. The bereaved family includes sons Kang Jung-seok, Kang Moon-seok, Kang Woo-seok, and daughters Kang In-kyung, Kang Young-rok, and Kang Yoon-kyung. The funeral procession is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on the 5th, and the burial site will be Seonsan in Daehyeon-ri, Ian-myeon, Sangju, Gyeongbuk.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
