KOREA WHO

Choi Yun-birm is Chairman of Korea Zinc.

He is in charge of “Project Crucible,” a smelter construction project in Tennessee in the United States that will produce 13 types of non-ferrous metals, in line with the trend of global supply chain restructuring.

He is defending against the attempt by the MBK Partners-Young Poong alliance to take control of Korea Zinc’s management.

He was born on March 17, 1975, as the second son among the two sons and one daughter of the late Choi Chang-geol, honorary chairman of Korea Zinc, and Yoo Jung-keun, former president of the Korean Red Cross.

He graduated from St. Paul’s School in the United States and majored in mathematics and English literature at Amherst College. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School.

After working as a lawyer in New York State, he joined Korea Zinc as a director and head of the Management Support Division at the Onsan Smelter.

He later served as CEO of Korea Zinc’s local corporation for mine development in Peru and as CEO of Sun Metals Corporation (SMC), an Australian zinc smelter that is a subsidiary of Korea Zinc, before being appointed co-CEO and president of Korea Zinc in 2019. He became chairman in 2022.

In the management control dispute, he showed the traits of a tough dealmaker by overcoming a disadvantage in shareholding and using every possible means.

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