Biography of late Korean Air Chair Cho Yang-ho honors his legacy

Industry

Published: 08 Apr. 2024, 18:23 Updated: 08 Apr. 2024, 19:00

Biography of late Korean Air Chair Cho Yang-ho honors his legacy

Biography of Korean Air former chairman Cho Yang-ho, titled "Charting New Horizons: the Life and Legacy of Cho Yang-ho" [HANJIN GROUP]

A new biography chronicling the life and accomplishments of former chairman and CEO of Korean Air, Cho Yang-ho, has been released Monday, highlighting his leadership in transforming the company into a major global carrier.

Titled "Charting New Horizons: the Life and Legacy of Cho Yang-ho," the book was unveiled during a memorial ceremony in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Monday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Cho's passing. The book was published as a tribute to Cho's leadership and management philosophy, according to a statement from Hanjin Group, Korean Air's parent company.

Hanjin Group and Korean Air former chairman Cho Yang-ho [HANJIN GROUP]

Cho served as the chairman of Korean Air for nearly 20 years from 1999 to 2019. He was the eldest son of Cho Choong-hoon, the founder of Hanjin Group.

In 2019, Cho passed away in the United States at the age of 70 due to a chronic lung disease.

Comprising of 10 chapters, the biography explores Cho's global perspective, dedication to Korean Air employees, guiding management principles and approach to problem-solving.

The biography uncovers untold narratives surrounding Cho's leadership during the 1997 financial crisis, his role in founding the SkyTeam global alliance and his efforts to bring the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games to Korea as president of the organizing committee. The book highlights his photography hobby, which was good enough to be included in Korean Air commercials.

Having joined Korean Air in 1974, Cho had a reputation within the company for spearheading finding new flight destinations. Cho’s personal explorations were responsible for adding destinations like Halong Bay in Vietnam, Istanbul in Turkey and Male in the Maldives to Korean Air’s network.

The most famous story of Cho’s solo exploration — a story that has now become Korean Air lore — details the chairman's 6,000-mile, 18-day road trip across the Americas in search of new flight destinations.

The foreword for the biography was penned by Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Enterprises Federation, who was a longtime friend of Cho.

"In the history of global aviation, Chairman Cho stands as a singular figure of expertise and perseverance. He is undoubtedly a once-in-a-century aviation expert,” wrote Sohn. “The steadfast growth of Korean Air and Hanjin Group after his passing serves as a testament to the effectiveness of the robust and meticulously crafted systems he implemented during his lifetime.”

Late Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho participates in the torch relay for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in the Gwanghwamun area of central Seoul on Jan. 13, 2018. [NEWS1]

Sohn recommended the book for all the anecdotes it revealed for the first time. He added, “In these pages, Chairman Cho appears as energetic as he was in life.”

Lee Im-gwang, a biographer and former journalist for Forbes Korea, authored Cho’s biography and captured testimonies of Cho’s life through interviews with Hanjin Group employees and acquaintances of Cho.

Cho is survived by his wife Lee Myung-hee, his two daughters Cho Seung-yeon and Cho Hyun-min, and son Walter Cho who doubles as chairman at Korean Air and Hanjin Group.

Monday's memorial ceremony was attended by Cho's family and some 130 employees from Hanjin Group.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]