Kim Jeong-su, Kim Nam-gu, and Seong Rae-eun Join Hankyung Association Leadership... New AI Committee Established

First Female Business Leader Joins After 25 Years
Hankyung Association: "Expanding Finance, Food, and Fashion Sectors"
"Strengthening Policy Proposal Functions Centered on Member Companies"

Three new members have joined the Korea Economic Association (KEA) chairman group: Kim Nam-gu, Chairman of Korea Investment Holdings; Kim Jeong-su, Vice Chairman of Samyang Round Square; and Seong Rae-eun, Vice Chairman of Youngone Holdings. KEA plans to expand the chairman group to include leaders from various industries such as finance, food, and fashion, and to strengthen its policy proposal functions centered on member companies by establishing new committees like the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Committee. For the first time in 25 years, a female business leader has joined, enhancing the diversity of the chairman group.

The Korean Economic Association executive members are taking a commemorative photo.
From the left: Lee Woong-yeol, Honorary Chairman of Kolon; Lee Jang-han, Chairman of Chong Kun Dang; Kim Yoon, Chairman of Samyang Holdings; Kim Jung-soo, Vice Chairman of Samyang Round Square; Ryu Jin, Chairman of the Korean Economic Association; Sung Rae-eun, Vice Chairman of Youngone Trading Group; Kim Nam-goo, Chairman of Korea Investment Holdings; Cho Hyun-joon, Chairman of Hyosung; Kim Chang-beom, Executive Vice Chairman of the Korean Economic Association.
[Photo by Korean Economic Association]

KEA announced on the 10th that after holding a chairman group dinner on the 9th to commemorate its first anniversary (on the 18th), it recruited Chairman Kim Nam-gu, Vice Chairman Kim Jeong-su, and Vice Chairman Seong Rae-eun to the chairman group. The number of members in the chairman group expanded from 12 to 15. Ryu Jin, Chairman of KEA, said, "In the current difficult economic situation, the chairman group has agreed to promote entrepreneurial spirit to achieve a new leap forward for the Korean economy."

Chairman Kim Nam-gu is enhancing domestic and international competitiveness by focusing on subsidiaries in the U.S., Hong Kong, and Vietnam, aiming to become Asia's top financial company. Vice Chairman Kim Jeong-su led the development of Samyang Food’s Buldak Bokkeum Myun (Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen) and was selected by Forbes, a U.S. economic media outlet, as one of the 50 most influential Asian women over 50 this year. Vice Chairman Seong Rae-eun was recognized for her management skills, notably leading the world's first acquisition of the 'ISO 22301' certification in the apparel industry.

KEA emphasized that with new industry leaders from finance, food, and fashion joining the chairman group, it has become younger and more dynamic. A female business leader has joined the KEA chairman group for the first time in 25 years since 1999. The previous 12 members were leaders from defense, chemical, pharmaceutical, energy, aviation, and refining companies, all male. The inclusion of a female business leader is the first since Jang Young-shin, Chairwoman of the Aekyung Group, served for nine months in 1999.

KEA stated, "Through this expansion of the chairman group, including the recruitment of female business leaders, we will reflect the changing times and gather diverse industry voices to continue more dynamic activities. By including business leaders recognized in the global market, we plan to firmly establish Korea’s economic leap on the world stage."

Along with expanding the chairman group, KEA announced plans to establish the AI Innovation Committee and the Service Industry Competitiveness Enhancement Committee. The strategy is to increase member company participation and establish association activities centered on member companies.

The AI Innovation Committee will explore new growth engines across industries in the era of AI transformation (AX) and seek ways for Korea to gain an advantage in the intensifying global AI competition. As the first private AI consultative body, it will address key agendas such as AI technological innovation, AI adoption and diffusion across industries, bridging digital divides by generation and class, and establishing a new digital order in the AI era.

The Service Committee will be established to transform the Korean economy into an "advanced country-type industrial structure" by increasing the high value-added nature of the service industry and revitalizing promising service sectors. The committee will focus on agendas such as service-manufacturing convergence, support for underdeveloped sectors, and regulatory improvements in promising fields.

Each committee will include major corporations (chairpersons and operating members) and experts (advisory members) from relevant fields. Subcommittees and working groups by detailed sectors will continuously support the committees’ activities. KEA plans to continuously discover policy tasks reflecting member companies’ opinions centered on the committees and actively incorporate them into policies through close communication and cooperation with the government.