KOREA WHO
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Chairman of Hankook & Company
Cho Hyun-bum
Seeks Management Comeback After Prison, Faces Image-Rebuilding Challenge
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Last Updated on Nov 4, 2026
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Chairman of Hankook & Company
Life Summary
Cho Hyun-bum is chairman of Hankook & Company. He also serves as chairman of its subsidiary, Hankook Tire & Technology.
He was born on January 7, 1972, in Haman County, South Gyeongsang Province, as the youngest son among the two sons and two daughters of Cho Yang-rai, honorary chairman of Hankook & Company Group.
He is the son-in-law of former President Lee Myung-bak.
He graduated from Dwight-Englewood School in the United States and Boston College with a degree in finance.
He joined Hankook Tire and served as head of the Marketing Division and the Business Operations Division.
After serving as head of the Corporate Planning Division at Hankook Tire Worldwide, he became CEO of Hankook Tire in 2017.
He was sentenced to prison on embezzlement and breach of trust charges in 2025 and served time in prison until his sentence was completed in September 2026.
He repeatedly stepped down as CEO and returned to the position while undergoing investigations and trials over allegations of personal misconduct. In February 2026, while serving his prison sentence, he stepped down as CEO of Hankook & Company.
#ChoHyunbum #HankookAndCompany #HankookTireAndTechnology #HankookAndCompanyGroup #CorporateChairman #ExecutiveProfile #BusinessLeadership #CorporateGovernance #EmbezzlementCase #ManagementComeback
He was born on January 7, 1972, in Haman County, South Gyeongsang Province, as the youngest son among the two sons and two daughters of Cho Yang-rai, honorary chairman of Hankook & Company Group.
He is the son-in-law of former President Lee Myung-bak.
He graduated from Dwight-Englewood School in the United States and Boston College with a degree in finance.
He joined Hankook Tire and served as head of the Marketing Division and the Business Operations Division.
After serving as head of the Corporate Planning Division at Hankook Tire Worldwide, he became CEO of Hankook Tire in 2017.
He was sentenced to prison on embezzlement and breach of trust charges in 2025 and served time in prison until his sentence was completed in September 2026.
He repeatedly stepped down as CEO and returned to the position while undergoing investigations and trials over allegations of personal misconduct. In February 2026, while serving his prison sentence, he stepped down as CEO of Hankook & Company.
#ChoHyunbum #HankookAndCompany #HankookTireAndTechnology #HankookAndCompanyGroup #CorporateChairman #ExecutiveProfile #BusinessLeadership #CorporateGovernance #EmbezzlementCase #ManagementComeback