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Generational transition eyed as Korea's top 4 conglomerates begin corporate reshuffles

Published: 10 Nov. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 10 Nov. 2025, 13:34

A person is seen entering Samsung Electronics' office in southern Seoul, in this file photo taken Oct. 14, 2025. [YONHAP]

Korea’s top four conglomerates have begun their year-end executive reshuffles, starting with Samsung and SK. Attention is particularly focused on Samsung, where Vice Chairman Chung Hyun-ho, who led the company’s emergency management system for eight years, has stepped down — potentially opening the door to a large-scale personnel shake-up.

According to industry sources on Sunday, Samsung is planning to carry out its executive reshuffle as early as mid-November. On Friday, Samsung Electronics surprised observers by elevating its temporary strategy for the task force to a permanent unit and appointing Park Hark-kyu, formerly head of business support at the Device Solutions (DS) division, to succeed Chung. Park, a veteran in finance and strategy, has led the management support divisions of both the semiconductor and device experience (DX) divisions. Chung, who previously led the task force, has stepped away from management and will now serve as a special adviser to the chairman.

Observers say this reshuffle is Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s first major personnel decision since clearing his legal risks — and could usher in organizational renewal and a generational transition. If the changes are extensive, the reshuffle may be pushed to late November.

One anticipated move is the formal appointment of Roh Tae-moon as head of the DX division, removing his interim status. Choi Won-joon, who currently leads product development and global operations within the mobile experience division, is seen as a strong candidate to replace Roh as mobile business chief. Attention is also being paid to whether a successor will be named to lead the memory business unit, which is currently overseen by DS division chief and Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun. Though some speculate Samsung may be rebuilding a group-level command center, its construction and finance affiliates are expected to retain their current task force systems.

SK Group, which already announced its senior executive reshuffle, is expected to announce promotions for its affiliates in the coming weeks, with a focus on generational change and streamlining. Notable among the new appointments is Ryu Byung-hoon, who has been named chief of staff to SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Ryu, an executive vice president at SK hynix in charge of future strategy, was born in 1980. Another example is the promotion of Yeom Sung-jin, who replaces Vice Chairman Lee Hyung-hee as head of the group’s Supex Council Communication Committee.

Samsung Electronics President Park Hark-kyu, who has been promoted to head the company’s emergency management system [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

SK Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks at the SKMS Research Center in Icheon, Gyeonggi, for the 2025 CEO Seminar, held from Nov. 6 to 8. [SK INC.]

Some insiders speculate that Supex Council Chairman Chey Chang-won is considering downsizing the executive ranks at key affiliates such as SK Telecom and SK Innovation. The council itself — SK’s highest decision-making body — could see its current 100-member structure cut nearly in half.

During the group’s annual CEO seminar held from Thursday to Saturday at the SKMS Research Institute in Icheon, Chey emphasized operational fundamentals, saying, “When improving operations, it's more important to verify whether processes actually function, rather than simply assuming they were well-designed. If a company pushes for AI transformation without solid fundamentals, it will inevitably fail.” Around 60 senior executives, including Senior Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won and Council Chairman Chey Chang-won, attended the event — one of SK’s three core annual meetings, along with the June strategy conference and August Icheon Forum.

Hyundai Motor’s executive reshuffle is expected in early December, although the scope is likely to be limited. Following the Korea-U.S. summit last month, which saw the United States lower proposed auto tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent, Hyundai appears poised to maintain stability. Hyundai Motor CEO José Muñoz and Kia CEO Song Ho-sung are both expected to be reappointed.

LG is also expected to announce its reshuffle by the end of the month. Chairman Koo Kwang-mo is currently holding year-end business review sessions with top executives, evaluating 2024 strategies and 2025 planning. Once those meetings wrap up in mid-November, a restructuring — particularly focused on underperforming units like petrochemicals — is expected to follow.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NA SANG-HYEON, PARK YOUNG-WOO [[email protected]]