[Asia Exclusive] Field Expert with Theory and Practice, Former Head of the Small and Medium Business Administration

by Kim Chulhyun

Published 10 Feb.2020 11:30(KST)

Who is Han Jeong-hwa, Chairperson of Asan Nanum Foundation?

Han Jeong-hwa, Chairperson of Asan Nanum Foundation, is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 5th. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Han Jeong-hwa, Chairman of the Asan Nanum Foundation (age 66), is a distinguished scholar in the field of business administration and a leading field expert who has actively worked to revitalize small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and venture companies in South Korea. Born in 1954, he is currently a distinguished professor at Hanyang University’s College of Business Administration. After graduating from Seoul National University with a degree in business administration, he went to the United States and earned his master's and doctoral degrees in business administration from the University of Georgia.

He began gaining practical experience in the corporate field in 1977 while working in the Planning and Management Office at Hyundai Heavy Industries. He then broadened his theoretical horizons through roles at the Economic Analysis Office and the Science and Technology Policy Institute at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Based on this foundation, he served as a professor at Hanyang University from 1989, nurturing future talents. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the 13th Commissioner of the Small and Medium Business Administration, leading policies for SMEs and venture companies in South Korea. In addition, he has contributed for many years to the revitalization of domestic small and venture businesses by serving as president of the Korean Small Business Association, director of the Korea Venture Industry Institute, president of the Small and Venture Business Policy Association, and director of the Korea Venture Research Institute, bridging both public and private sectors.

Chairman Han was also a founding director at the launch of the Asan Nanum Foundation. By assuming the position of chairman last December, he returned to the foundation after six years. The Asan Nanum Foundation, established in 2011 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the late Chung Ju-yung, founder of Hyundai, is a public interest foundation engaged in spreading entrepreneurship, discovering prospective entrepreneurs, supporting startup infrastructure, and strengthening the capabilities of social innovators. Chairman Han emphasized, "The foundation of all projects at the Asan Nanum Foundation is entrepreneurship. It means challenging uncertainty. Some may think this spirit is only necessary for entrepreneurs or businesspeople, but it is important to quickly recognize problems when they arise, take on challenges to solve them, and create value by demonstrating creativity through positive thinking."

The Asan Nanum Foundation will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. One of his roles is to seriously consider how to prepare for the foundation’s next decade. Chairman Han stated, "During my term, I intend to work with partners who share the same vision and mission to spread the 'entrepreneurial spirit,' which the foundation values most. Additionally, we plan to develop the foundation’s unique identity by advancing existing programs such as youth startup support and social innovator capacity-building projects."