"Vice Chairman Woo Ki-hong Promoted as the Right Leader to Drive Mega Carrier at Korean Air"

Promotion in Korean Air's Regular Executive Reshuffle
Vice Chairman Position Established for the First Time in Six Years Since 2019

"Ki-hong Woo (then President of Korean Air), where are you? Thank you for coming here. You have done an excellent job at Korean Air."

In June 2019, then U.S. President Donald Trump, who was visiting Korea, specifically called out two people by name during a meeting with Korean business leaders. They were Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte Group, and Ki-hong Woo, then President of Korean Air.

He expressed gratitude for Lotte Chemical's $3.1 billion investment in Louisiana and Korean Air's decision to purchase $9 billion worth of Boeing's latest 787 models at the time. Most major group chairmen attended the event, including Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group; and Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. Among professional managers, aside from CEO Woo, only Kwon Young-soo, then Vice Chairman of LG, and Han Sung-sook, former CEO of Naver, were present.

In October last year, Woo Ki-hong, then President of Korean Air (right), is seen conversing with Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 15th, Ki-hong Woo, promoted to Vice Chairman in Korean Air's regular executive personnel reshuffle, attracted attention as he took on the vice chairman position for the first time in six years. Since former Vice Chairman Seok Tae-soo stepped down in 2019, the company had not appointed a vice chairman. It is interpreted that with the completion of the long and difficult integration process with Asiana Airlines, there was a need to coordinate overall airline operations on a larger scale beyond individual airline units. Through this integration, Asiana Airlines became a subsidiary of Korean Air, and Jin Air, which had already become a subsidiary earlier, will also play a central role as an integrated low-cost carrier (LCC).

Vice Chairman Woo began his career at Korean Air in his youth and has worked at the same company for nearly 40 years. He mainly worked in the core passenger business department and gained overseas work experience in key locations, especially in the United States (New York Passenger Branch and Americas Headquarters). In 2016, when Chairman Cho Won-tae took the helm as president and stepped forward in management, Woo served as head of the Management Strategy Headquarters and was promoted to co-CEO the following year. This year marks his ninth year as CEO.

Woo Ki-hong, Vice Chairman of Korean Air. Photo by Korean Air

He is said to have earned the trust of the owner family by closely assisting the late Chairman Cho Yang-ho and current Chairman Cho Won-tae. He also personally handled major issues. Utilizing his strong network in the U.S., he played a key role in launching a joint venture with Delta Air Lines. Negotiations with Delta were reportedly difficult due to cultural differences between the two companies, but Vice Chairman Woo personally managed the negotiations and persuaded the other party.

Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when passenger demand sharply declined, he quickly expanded the cargo business to improve profitability. When Korean Air introduced the Amadeus reservation system in 2011, he was involved as a key staff member responsible for system development.