Chung Yong-jin returns as Emart CEO after 13 years; Shinsegae Group steps up generational change (Roundup)

[Financial News] Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin (photo) has been nominated as CEO of Emart. This marks his return 13 years after stepping down as a registered director of Emart in 2013.
On the 23rd, Shinsegae Group announced its 2027 regular executive appointments, which included these changes. Chairman Chung was nominated as CEO of Emart. After taking office as CEO of Shinsegae Property Inc. last June, he will now take direct charge of Emart’s management as well.
Chairman Chung is expected to officially take office as CEO of Emart following a shareholders’ meeting. Accordingly, he will establish co-CEO arrangements with the new Emart CEO and Lee Hyeong-cheon, CEO of Shinsegae Property Inc., respectively. Chung plans to work closely with both executives to strengthen the core business competitiveness of key affiliates and flesh out the group’s mid- to long-term growth strategy and vision.

Kim Hong-geuk, CEO of Shinsegae Casa, has been nominated as Emart’s new CEO. A leading merchandising (MD) and sales expert within the group, Kim has held positions including head of home appliances and culture at Emart and head of its merchandise division. During his tenure as CEO of Shinsegae TV Shopping, he turned operating losses into profits, and since 2022 he has been credited with improving Shinsegae Casa’s profitability.
Choi Taek-won, CEO of SSG.COM, was named head of management support in the Management Strategy Office, which oversees the group’s personnel affairs and audits. Park Seung-hak, head of the leisure business division at Josun Hotels & Resorts, was named head of the External Relations Division, which handles public relations and government affairs. Jeon Sang-jin, executive vice president and head of management at the Management Strategy Office, was retained in his post.
The new head of management support, Choi, has held a range of key positions at Emart, including in logistics and supply chain management and as head of the sales division. Since becoming CEO of SSG.COM, he has focused on applying Emart’s strengths to its online business. He is seen as the right person to implement the group’s innovation strategy, thanks to his deep understanding of the core retail business and his ability to drive new businesses.
The new head of the External Relations Division, Park, has held positions including head of sales at Emart, CSR director and head of the business division at Emart Everyday. He will oversee the group’s public relations and government affairs. He is expected to lead efforts to refresh Shinsegae Group’s image and strengthen its external communications as it expands into areas including artificial intelligence (AI), content and entertainment.
Heo Min-ho, former CEO of CJ Olive Young Corporation, has been nominated as CEO of Shinsegae Casa. He will also serve as CEO of the cosmetics division at Shinsegae International Inc. Kim Duk-joo, the current CEO, will head the fashion division at Shinsegae International, while Ki In-ju, CEO of SMPMC, has been nominated to head Shinsegae’s baseball team.
The appointments also accelerated generational change, with a large number of young talents selected for promotion. Shinsegae Group promoted 36 new executives, the largest number in its history. In particular, it actively placed executives in their 40s in key roles, bringing their share of the group’s entire executive roster to a record 18%. The group said it sought both organizational stability and renewal by retaining the heads of key affiliates that had delivered results while placing younger executives in frontline positions.
Shinsegae Group plans to pursue organizational renewal through further ad hoc appointments following this round of regular appointments. The plan is to strengthen the organization’s ability to execute by selecting talent based on job capability and performance and placing them where they are best suited.
A Shinsegae Group spokesperson said,  “This is a personnel shake-up intended to quickly resolve the challenges facing the company and ensure the smooth execution of its future growth plans,” adding, “Chairman Chung, who has declared responsible management, selected partners to lead change and innovation across the group based on a single criterion: ‘ability.’” 
The spokesperson added, “The view is that Chairman Chung will take the lead in changing the group by exercising his leadership directly amid the major industrial transformation unfolding around artificial intelligence,” and stressed, “By identifying talent based on performance, we will maximize the competitiveness of our core businesses and deliver results in future growth businesses as well.”

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