KOREA WHO
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Chair of the Board of Socar
Lee Jae-woong
First-Gen Venture Leader Returns, Builds AI Mobility Ecosystem
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Last Updated on Apr 13, 2026
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Chair of the Board of Socar
Life Summary
Lee Jae-woong is the chair of the board and COO of Socar.
He returned to frontline management after six years and is putting weight behind strengthening the competitiveness of the car-sharing service and organizational innovation.
He also appears likely to focus on new businesses, including building a new mobility ecosystem that combines data and AI along with autonomous driving.
He was born in Incheon on October 22, 1968.
He graduated from Seoul Yeongdong High School and Yonsei University’s Department of Computer Science, and earned a master’s degree in computer science from Yonsei University Graduate School. He completed the doctoral program in cognitive processes at Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.
He founded Daum Communications at the age of 26. He introduced Hanmail.net, the country’s first free email service, and launched the online cafe community Daum Cafe, building Daum Communications into a portal service company.
After losing the No. 1 portal position to Naver and facing a crisis caused by weak subsidiaries, he stepped down as CEO 12 years after founding the company.
After that, he focused on investing in startups in the sharing economy and media sectors.
He founded Sopoong, a social venture incubating investment firm, and served as the managing partner of venture capital limited company SOQRI.
In 2018, he became CEO of Socar and led innovation in the domestic mobility industry by launching the ride-hailing service Tada. After the so-called “Tada ban law” passed the National Assembly, he stepped away from frontline management.
In 2026, he returned as chair of the board and COO of Socar.
He is a leading first-generation venture entrepreneur and at one time ranked No. 1 among venture tycoons. He is close to Naver board chair Lee Hae-jin.
#Socar #LeeJaewoong #KoreanStartup #DaumCommunications #Hanmail #DaumCafe #Tada #Mobility #CarSharing #AIMobility
He returned to frontline management after six years and is putting weight behind strengthening the competitiveness of the car-sharing service and organizational innovation.
He also appears likely to focus on new businesses, including building a new mobility ecosystem that combines data and AI along with autonomous driving.
He was born in Incheon on October 22, 1968.
He graduated from Seoul Yeongdong High School and Yonsei University’s Department of Computer Science, and earned a master’s degree in computer science from Yonsei University Graduate School. He completed the doctoral program in cognitive processes at Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.
He founded Daum Communications at the age of 26. He introduced Hanmail.net, the country’s first free email service, and launched the online cafe community Daum Cafe, building Daum Communications into a portal service company.
After losing the No. 1 portal position to Naver and facing a crisis caused by weak subsidiaries, he stepped down as CEO 12 years after founding the company.
After that, he focused on investing in startups in the sharing economy and media sectors.
He founded Sopoong, a social venture incubating investment firm, and served as the managing partner of venture capital limited company SOQRI.
In 2018, he became CEO of Socar and led innovation in the domestic mobility industry by launching the ride-hailing service Tada. After the so-called “Tada ban law” passed the National Assembly, he stepped away from frontline management.
In 2026, he returned as chair of the board and COO of Socar.
He is a leading first-generation venture entrepreneur and at one time ranked No. 1 among venture tycoons. He is close to Naver board chair Lee Hae-jin.
#Socar #LeeJaewoong #KoreanStartup #DaumCommunications #Hanmail #DaumCafe #Tada #Mobility #CarSharing #AIMobility