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Chairman of MBK Partners
Michael Byung-ju Kim
ChatGPT said: Private Equity Leader Faces Rising Homeplus Backlash
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Last Updated on Sep 29, 2025
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Chairman of MBK Partners
Life Summary
Kim Byung-ju, also known as Michael Byung-ju Kim, is the chairman of MBK Partners.
He leads MBK Partners, the largest private equity fund (PEF) in South Korea with assets exceeding US$30 billion, and one of the major private equity firms in Northeast Asia.
He now faces the task of repairing MBK Partners’ tarnished reputation following the Lotte Card and Homeplus crises.
Kim was born on October 8, 1963, in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
As a teenager, he moved to the United States alone, where he majored in English literature at Haverford College and later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.
During his studies abroad, he acquired U.S. citizenship and gave up his Korean nationality. His English name is Michael ByungJu Kim.
He married Park Kyung-ah, the fourth daughter of former Prime Minister Park Tae-joon, whom he met while she was studying at Parsons School of Design in the U.S.
Kim began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York and Hong Kong before moving to Salomon Smith Barney. During the Asian financial crisis, he participated in South Korea’s issuance of US$4 billion in foreign exchange stabilization bonds.
He later joined The Carlyle Group, where he drew attention in the private equity market by leading the acquisition of Hanmi Bank.
In 2005, he founded MBK Partners as an independent firm. Starting with the acquisition of Daewoo Precision, he participated in numerous bidding processes and became known as the “Godfather of Private Equity.”
The name “MBK” Partners was derived from the initials of Michael ByungJu Kim.
Over the years, he achieved major successes in high-profile acquisitions and earned the nickname “Midas’ Hand” in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market.
However, his reputation has dimmed as MBK Partners has faced mounting responsibility after Homeplus filed for corporate rehabilitation in 2025, coupled with the fallout from the massive data breach at Lotte Card.
#MBKPartners #MichaelByungJuKim #privateequity #investment #SouthKorea #finance #mergersandacquisitions #Homeplus #LotteCard #leadership
He leads MBK Partners, the largest private equity fund (PEF) in South Korea with assets exceeding US$30 billion, and one of the major private equity firms in Northeast Asia.
He now faces the task of repairing MBK Partners’ tarnished reputation following the Lotte Card and Homeplus crises.
Kim was born on October 8, 1963, in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
As a teenager, he moved to the United States alone, where he majored in English literature at Haverford College and later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.
During his studies abroad, he acquired U.S. citizenship and gave up his Korean nationality. His English name is Michael ByungJu Kim.
He married Park Kyung-ah, the fourth daughter of former Prime Minister Park Tae-joon, whom he met while she was studying at Parsons School of Design in the U.S.
Kim began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York and Hong Kong before moving to Salomon Smith Barney. During the Asian financial crisis, he participated in South Korea’s issuance of US$4 billion in foreign exchange stabilization bonds.
He later joined The Carlyle Group, where he drew attention in the private equity market by leading the acquisition of Hanmi Bank.
In 2005, he founded MBK Partners as an independent firm. Starting with the acquisition of Daewoo Precision, he participated in numerous bidding processes and became known as the “Godfather of Private Equity.”
The name “MBK” Partners was derived from the initials of Michael ByungJu Kim.
Over the years, he achieved major successes in high-profile acquisitions and earned the nickname “Midas’ Hand” in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market.
However, his reputation has dimmed as MBK Partners has faced mounting responsibility after Homeplus filed for corporate rehabilitation in 2025, coupled with the fallout from the massive data breach at Lotte Card.
#MBKPartners #MichaelByungJuKim #privateequity #investment #SouthKorea #finance #mergersandacquisitions #Homeplus #LotteCard #leadership