Lee Jae-seop, honorary chairman and founder of Choil Aluminum. [Choil Aluminum]
Lee Jae-seop, honorary chairman and founder of Choil Aluminum. [Choil Aluminum]

Lee Jae-seop, the founder and honorary chairman of Choil Aluminum who helped build South Korea's aluminum rolling industry, died Tuesday. He was 86.

Born in Daegu in 1940, Lee graduated from Hanyang University's College of Engineering with a degree in industrial management and completed a graduate program at Yeungnam University's business school.

Lee founded Choil Aluminum in 1974 and went on to serve as president and CEO from 1985 and chairman from 1998, laying the groundwork for the domestic aluminum rolling industry and helping the company grow into one of South Korea's leading rolling manufacturers.

In 2007, he donated 200,000 shares of his personal holdings — then valued at around 2.2 billion won ($1.62 million) — to the company's employee stock ownership association. In 2020, he contributed 700 million won to support Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province communities struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lee was also committed to education and talent development, supporting scholarship programs and regional education initiatives through the Chungok Scholarship Foundation, the Sangseo School Foundation and the Yundang Education Foundation.

His contributions earned him the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in 1984. In 1997, he received France's Legion of Honor for his role in expanding economic ties between South Korea and France.

In 2024, he received the special Geumo Person Award at the 50th Geumo Awards.

A memorial altar has been set up at Daegu Catholic University Hospital's funeral hall. The funeral procession will depart Friday at 7 a.m., with burial at a family plot in Sinbang-ri, Namcheon-myeon, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com