KOREA WHO
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Chairman and CEO of Lotte Tour Development
Kim Ki-byung
Married into Lotte, Pursued Independent Leadership
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Last Updated on Feb 26, 2026
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Chairman and CEO of Lotte Tour Development
Life Summary
Kim Ki-byung is the Chairman and CEO of Lotte Tour Development.
He joined the Lotte family by marrying Shin Jung-hee, the youngest sister of Shin Kyuk-ho, the founder of Lotte Group, but he independently operates Lotte Tour Development and Dongwha Duty Free.
He was born on March 22, 1938, in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province.
He graduated from the Department of English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Korea University Graduate School of Business and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Administration.
During the April 19 Revolution, he served as president of the student council at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and as chairman of the National University Students’ Order Restoration Committee.
He began his career as an administrative officer at the Ministry of Home Affairs and later served as secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Jang Ki-young, who concurrently held the post of Minister of the Economic Planning Board (now the Ministry of Strategy and Finance). He also held positions including Director of the Trade Division at the Trade Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (now the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy), Director of the General Affairs Division and Spokesperson, and Director General of the Bureau of Industrial Policy.
In 1971, he entered the tourism industry and founded Ajin Tourism (now Lotte Tour Development). He subsequently established Dongwha Duty Free, Dongwha Investment Development, and Dongwha Liquor.
He also founded Mirim Academy (Mirim Girls’ High School) and serves as its chairman. Since 2021, he has been serving as chairman of the Korea-Japan Cooperation Committee.
He experienced a crisis, including entering court receivership due to the collapse of the Yongsan Station Area Development Project, but he made a renewed challenge with the Jeju Dream Tower complex resort project and contributed to elevating Jeju into an Asian tourism hub.
He is focusing on completing the second-generation succession, including gifting 6.1 million shares he owns to his second son, Kim Han-jun, CEO of Lotte Tour Development.
#KimKiByung #LotteTourDevelopment #DongwhaDutyFree #JejuDreamTower #LotteGroup #KoreaTourism #BusinessLeadership #SecondGenerationSuccession #KoreaJapanCooperation #YongsanDevelopment
He joined the Lotte family by marrying Shin Jung-hee, the youngest sister of Shin Kyuk-ho, the founder of Lotte Group, but he independently operates Lotte Tour Development and Dongwha Duty Free.
He was born on March 22, 1938, in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province.
He graduated from the Department of English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Korea University Graduate School of Business and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Administration.
During the April 19 Revolution, he served as president of the student council at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and as chairman of the National University Students’ Order Restoration Committee.
He began his career as an administrative officer at the Ministry of Home Affairs and later served as secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Jang Ki-young, who concurrently held the post of Minister of the Economic Planning Board (now the Ministry of Strategy and Finance). He also held positions including Director of the Trade Division at the Trade Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (now the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy), Director of the General Affairs Division and Spokesperson, and Director General of the Bureau of Industrial Policy.
In 1971, he entered the tourism industry and founded Ajin Tourism (now Lotte Tour Development). He subsequently established Dongwha Duty Free, Dongwha Investment Development, and Dongwha Liquor.
He also founded Mirim Academy (Mirim Girls’ High School) and serves as its chairman. Since 2021, he has been serving as chairman of the Korea-Japan Cooperation Committee.
He experienced a crisis, including entering court receivership due to the collapse of the Yongsan Station Area Development Project, but he made a renewed challenge with the Jeju Dream Tower complex resort project and contributed to elevating Jeju into an Asian tourism hub.
He is focusing on completing the second-generation succession, including gifting 6.1 million shares he owns to his second son, Kim Han-jun, CEO of Lotte Tour Development.
#KimKiByung #LotteTourDevelopment #DongwhaDutyFree #JejuDreamTower #LotteGroup #KoreaTourism #BusinessLeadership #SecondGenerationSuccession #KoreaJapanCooperation #YongsanDevelopment