SK Bioscience Vice Chairman Park Man-hoon Passes Away... Leading the Establishment of Vaccine Sovereignty

SK Chemical Vaccine Project and R&D Leadership

Park Man-hoon, Vice Chairman of SK Bioscience (Photo by SK Bioscience)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Park Man-hoon, Vice Chairman of SK Bioscience and a pioneer of cell culture vaccines in Korea, passed away on the 25th at the age of 64.

Born in Seoul in 1957, he was recruited in 2008 as the head of the Bio Division at SK Chemicals Life Science Research Institute. He later served as the head of the SK Chemicals Life Science Research Institute and concurrently held the positions of President of the Pharmaceutical Bio Division and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at SK Chemicals. Since 2018, he served as Vice Chairman of SK Bioscience.

He is credited with laying the foundation for the current growth of SK Bioscience by leading the growth of SK Chemicals' vaccine business through vaccine research and development (R&D). He led SK Chemicals’ vaccine projects and R&D, elevating Korea’s vaccine R&D capabilities to a global level. Representative examples include the next-generation pneumonia vaccine joint development contract with Sanofi Pasteur and the typhoid vaccine development collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Based on cell culture technology, he took the lead in establishing domestic vaccine sovereignty through the rapid and safe development and localization of vaccines. His masterpieces include the world’s first cell culture quadrivalent influenza vaccine developed in 2015, the pneumococcal vaccine developed in 2016, and the world’s second shingles vaccine developed in 2017.

Today’s localization of premium domestic vaccines is the result of the successive successes of these vaccines developed by him. It is also known that the core technology for SK Bioscience’s ongoing in-house COVID-19 vaccine development and contract manufacturing in response to the global COVID-19 crisis is the cell culture technology established by him during his lifetime.

SK Bioscience stated, "In accordance with the wishes of the deceased and the bereaved family, the funeral will be held simply," and "We respectfully decline flowers and condolences."

The funeral hall is Room 2 on the 2nd floor of the Bundang Seoul National University Hospital Funeral Hall, and the funeral procession will be held on the 27th. The bereaved family includes his wife, Lee Mi-hye.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.