KOREA WHO
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Chairman of Aekyung Group
Chang Young-shin
Korea’s First Female CEO Reshapes Aekyung Business Portfolio
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Last Updated on Mar 9, 2026
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Chairman of Aekyung Group
Life Summary
Chang Young-shin is the Chairman of Aekyung Group. She is known as the “first female CEO in Korea.”
After living as an ordinary housewife, she rose to the position of CEO and grew Aekyung, which had been a soap and detergent company, into a mid-sized conglomerate with about 30 affiliates at home and abroad in sectors such as distribution, aviation, real estate, and hotels, generating annual revenue of about KRW 5.0 trillion (US$ 3.6 billion) as of 2024.
She was born in Seoul on July 22, 1936.
She graduated from Kyunggi Girls’ High School and studied chemistry at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, the United States.
Following the sudden death of her husband Chae Mong-in, the founder of Aekyung Oil & Fat, she became CEO of Aekyung Oil & Fat Industrial in 1972.
After expanding the company while serving as CEO of Samkyung Chemical, Aekyung Chemical, Aekyung Shell, and Aekyung Industrial, she was appointed CEO of Aekyung Industrial and Chairman of Aekyung Group in 1985.
In 2004, the 50th anniversary of the group’s founding, she handed over management control to her eldest son Chae Hyung-seok, Vice Chairman in charge of overall operations.
In January 2026, she completed the management succession by selling AK Holdings to Aekyung Asset Management.
She served as the first Chairman of the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association, Vice Chairman of the Korea Management Association, Vice Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, and Vice Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association.
She served as a member of the 16th National Assembly (Seoul Guro-eul) representing the Millennium Democratic Party.
She was inducted into the first Women Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame of the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association.
#AekyungGroup #ChangYoungshin #KoreanBusinessWomen #FemaleCEO #KoreanConglomerates #AviationIndustry #RetailIndustry #CorporateSuccession #WomenEntrepreneurs #KoreaBusinessHistory
After living as an ordinary housewife, she rose to the position of CEO and grew Aekyung, which had been a soap and detergent company, into a mid-sized conglomerate with about 30 affiliates at home and abroad in sectors such as distribution, aviation, real estate, and hotels, generating annual revenue of about KRW 5.0 trillion (US$ 3.6 billion) as of 2024.
She was born in Seoul on July 22, 1936.
She graduated from Kyunggi Girls’ High School and studied chemistry at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, the United States.
Following the sudden death of her husband Chae Mong-in, the founder of Aekyung Oil & Fat, she became CEO of Aekyung Oil & Fat Industrial in 1972.
After expanding the company while serving as CEO of Samkyung Chemical, Aekyung Chemical, Aekyung Shell, and Aekyung Industrial, she was appointed CEO of Aekyung Industrial and Chairman of Aekyung Group in 1985.
In 2004, the 50th anniversary of the group’s founding, she handed over management control to her eldest son Chae Hyung-seok, Vice Chairman in charge of overall operations.
In January 2026, she completed the management succession by selling AK Holdings to Aekyung Asset Management.
She served as the first Chairman of the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association, Vice Chairman of the Korea Management Association, Vice Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, and Vice Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association.
She served as a member of the 16th National Assembly (Seoul Guro-eul) representing the Millennium Democratic Party.
She was inducted into the first Women Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame of the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association.
#AekyungGroup #ChangYoungshin #KoreanBusinessWomen #FemaleCEO #KoreanConglomerates #AviationIndustry #RetailIndustry #CorporateSuccession #WomenEntrepreneurs #KoreaBusinessHistory