Six entrepreneurs honored for 'contributing to entrepreneurship ecosystem'
EY Korea held the 20th EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ awards ceremony, presenting honors to six entrepreneurs including Aseong Daiso Chairman Park Jung-bu, the company said recently.
The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award is a globally recognized business award honoring entrepreneurs who have driven sustained growth and created long-term value through relentless challenge and innovation. Launched in the United States in 1986, the program has a 41-year history and now operates in 94 countries and territories worldwide. In South Korea, the program began in 2007 and marked its 20th anniversary this year. This year's ceremony was held Tuesday at the Hotel Shilla Seoul.
The global theme for this year's award was "entrepreneurs pioneering the realm of possibility." An independent judging panel chaired by Choi Jong-gu, former FSC chairman, evaluated candidates on four criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, purpose orientation, growth potential and impact.
The Master category — the top prize given to an entrepreneur who has led the market with outstanding leadership and set new industry standards — went to Aseong Daiso Chairman Park Jung-bu. Park pioneered South Korea's fixed-price everyday goods market, which had not previously existed, and created a new retail paradigm by emphasizing logistics innovation and cooperation with partner companies. The judges cited his long-term vision, execution ability and entrepreneurial spirit in turning limitations into opportunities for growth.
The Family Business category, awarded to family entrepreneurs who have carried on the founding spirit across generations, went to IEN Hanchang Chairman Jang Myeong-eon and CEO Jang Yeon-deok. IEN Hanchang built the foundation of South Korea's power equipment industry around transformers. The company has continued to grow as Jang Yeon-deok added global market expansion to the quality-centered management philosophy established by Chairman Jang Myeong-eon.
The Women Entrepreneur category, given to a female entrepreneur who has driven growth through differentiated competitiveness within her industry, went to Kim Myeong-hui, CEO of Ace Biome, who pioneered the functional probiotics market. Kim led the commercialization of the BNR17 strain — the first in South Korea to receive recognition from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for body fat reduction functionality — and spearheaded its technology exports to the United States, demonstrating the global potential of South Korea's biotech industry. Ace Biome has since expanded into menopause, immunity and joint health, and continues microbiome research aimed at addressing global public health challenges.
The Rising Star category, awarded to an entrepreneur who has achieved outstanding results in a short period and demonstrated sustained growth potential, went to Jeong Seong-eun, CEO of Weverse Mind. Weverse Mind is a life solutions company that helps people build positive daily habits. Jeong introduced "Noesaekim," an English-learning brand that applies the principles of immersion drawn from the gaming industry to language learning, building expertise in habit design that allows users to consistently maintain routines without relying on willpower.
The Social Impact category, given to an entrepreneur who has created positive change for people and society while generating sustainable value, went to Lee Si-wan, CEO of LBS Tech. Starting from the problem of mobility difficulties faced by visually impaired people, LBS Tech builds AI-based pedestrian environment data and applies it across mobility and various other industries as a spatial information technology company.
"This year's recipients are entrepreneurs who have gone beyond the limits set by the world and forged new paths in their respective industries," said Park Yong-geun, CEO of EY Korea. "Having accompanied Korea's leading entrepreneurs on their journey to becoming world-class figures over the past 20 years, we will continue to discover innovative entrepreneurs who will open up new possibilities."
Meanwhile, at last year's 19th EY Entrepreneur Of The Year ceremony, HL Group Chairman Chung Mong-won took the top Master award. The Family Business category was jointly awarded to Pyeonghwa Group Chairman Kim Jong-seok and President Kim Ju-young, while Taekyung Group Chairwoman Kim Hae-ryeon received the Women Entrepreneur award. The Rising Star award went to d'Alba Global CEO Ban Seong-yeon, and the Social Impact award to Enuma CEO Lee Su-in.
arete@heraldcorp.com
