Sewang Textile Chairman Choi Jae-rak Receives Gold Tower Order on Textile Day

[Financial News] Choi Jae-rak, chairman of Sewang Textile, received the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit at the 40th Textile Day ceremony. Park Jae-yong, president of Youngone Corporation, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, while Ha Heon-ju, CEO of Uniatex, received the Industrial Service Merit Medal. A total of 77 awards were presented this year to people who contributed to the development of the textile and fashion industry.
The Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KOFOTI) said it held the 40th Textile Day ceremony on the 11th at the Textile Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with some 500 people in attendance, including its chairman, Choi Byung-oh, and Lee Min-woo, head of the Industrial Growth Office at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
This year’s awards comprised 47 government honors—including three orders and medals, three Presidential Commendations, three Prime Minister’s Commendations and 38 commendations from the Minister of Trade and Industry—and 30 commendations from the KOFOTI chairman.


Choi, who received the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, was recognized for his contributions over 44 years in the textile industry, including promoting the development of eco-friendly, high-performance textiles and the automation of production processes. Park was honored for developing recycled materials and industrial textiles, while Ha was recognized for establishing a mass-production system for spandex yarn and developing functional knitted fabrics.
The Presidential Commendation went to Lee Seung-je, CEO of Changmyeong Industrial; Eom Jin-i, vice president of Hansol Textile; and the Korea Fashion Association (KFA). The Prime Minister’s Commendation was awarded to Ahn Byeong-seok, CEO of Taekwang Textile; Seong Jae-hwan, a director at Shinhan Woolen; and the Busan Textile and Fashion Industry Association.
Textile Day was established to commemorate the domestic textile and fashion industry becoming the first single industry to achieve $10 billion in exports in 1987. At this year’s ceremony, plaques of appreciation were also presented to four people, including Shinwon Chairman Park Sung-chul, who received an Order of Industrial Service Merit at the time.
In his commemorative address, KOFOTI Chairman Choi Byung-oh identified rebuilding the industry ecosystem, adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and smart manufacturing technologies, developing advanced materials, and transitioning to more eco-friendly practices as key priorities.

[email protected] Mi-hee Kim Reporter