"Godmother of Retail" Chairperson Shin Youngja Mourned...Current and Former Lotte CEOs Pay Their Respects

Eldest Daughter of the Late Honorary Chairman Shin Kyukho Passes Away
Senior Lotte Figures and Employees Pay Their Respects at the Wake
Lawmaker Na Kyungwon Also Visits... "A Connection Through Disability Welfare Work"
Condolence Wreaths from Chairman Shin Dongbin and Executive Vice President Shin Yooyeol

On the second day of the funeral for Shin Youngja, chairperson of the Lotte Foundation and known as the "godmother" of the domestic retail industry, current and former Lotte CEOs, as well as figures from politics and business, visited the wake. Her younger brother, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dongbin, and her nephew, Shin Yooyeol, head of the Future Growth Office at Lotte Corporation and co-CEO (Executive Vice President) of Lotte Biologics, sent condolence wreaths in her memory.

Funeral hall at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, where the wake for Shin Youngja, Chairwoman of the Lotte Foundation, has been set up. Photo by Kim Heungsun

On the 22nd, the special room on the second basement floor of the funeral hall at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, where Chairperson Shin's wake is being held, was filled with condolence wreaths sent in the names of Lotte affiliate CEOs, including Chairman Shin Dongbin and Executive Vice President Shin Yooyeol. From the political sphere, People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyungwon and People Power Party Secretary-General Chung Heeyong sent condolence flags to pay tribute to the deceased. Lawmaker Na also personally visited the wake that afternoon. She said, "The deceased was deeply interested in disability human rights issues during her lifetime, and we once worked together on matters related to welfare for people with disabilities," adding, "I shared stories with the bereaved family in remembrance of the deceased."

Also visiting the wake that day were senior figures of the Lotte Group, including Lee Dongho, former CEO of Lotte Hotel Busan, as well as Park James, co-CEO of Lotte Biologics, Lee Wontaek, CEO of Lotte GRS, and Kwon Osang, CEO of Lotte World. The remaining group CEOs are known to have paid their respects the previous day. The deceased's eldest daughter, Jang Hyesun, chairperson of the Lotte Scholarship Foundation, received mourners as chief mourner, and in some cases went outside the wake to see them off.

The funeral hall at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, where the wake for Shin Youngja, chairwoman of the Lotte Foundation, is being held. Provided by the Lotte Foundation.

Chairperson Shin, the eldest daughter of the late Lotte founder and honorary chairman Shin Kyukho, passed away the previous day at the age of 85. She is regarded as a key figure who, together with her father, led Lotte's success story. Since joining Hotel Lotte in the 1970s, she devoted herself to the retail business, and in 2008 she was promoted to president of Lotte Shopping, where she led the department store and duty-free businesses. In particular, she played a pioneering role by opening the first duty-free shop in Korea, and for these achievements she became known as the "godmother" of the retail industry.

From 2009, she distanced herself from group management and became the first chairperson of the Lotte Samdong Foundation. In 2012, she went on to serve as the second and third chairperson of the Lotte Scholarship Foundation and the Lotte Welfare Foundation, respectively, focusing on social contribution activities. She devoted particular attention to nurturing young talent, supporting marginalized groups, and helping the Ulsan region, the hometown of Honorary Chairman Shin. Over about 40 years, the Lotte Foundation has provided support totaling about 250 billion won to approximately 520,000 people.

Chairperson Shin's funeral will be held as a Lotte Foundation funeral until the 23rd, and the burial site will be Hannam Park Cemetery in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.