Naver's Han Seong-suk Leaves After Record Performance, Moves to Global Stage

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] 'Annual sales surpassing 6 trillion won.' Han Seong-suk, CEO of Naver, who led the company's best-ever performance last year and achieved a successful conclusion, is now moving to the global stage. The next destination is likely to be Europe, where the company's new businesses are unfolding. Having been credited with transforming Naver into a global company during her five-year term, attention is focused on whether she can once again elevate the company's brand value to a higher level.

According to industry sources on the 31st, CEO Han will complete her five-year term in March and hand over her position to Choi Su-yeon, the head of the Global Business Support Division.

During her tenure, CEO Han is recognized for aggressively investing in technology and personnel, transforming Naver from a 'portal'-centered image into a technology-driven global company.

She also expanded the CIC system, establishing speed and independence in business operations, helping the company grow into an internet company with a diverse portfolio. Additionally, she proposed a win-win model with small business owners, offering a solution for platform companies to gain social recognition.

In particular, Naver's performance last year is seen as a condensed result of CEO Han's efforts. Naver posted its highest quarterly performance in history in Q4 last year, surpassing 6 trillion won in annual sales for the first time in the company's history. The sales proportion of new businesses such as commerce and content exceeded 50% for the first time, marking success in business diversification.

At the earnings conference call, CEO Han stated, "There were many concerns when Naver expanded globally and diversified its businesses, but we have built a business portfolio that encompasses both the present and the future." She added, "Last year was a meaningful period when all business operations entered a growth phase."

She said, "If my role over the past five years was to solidify global expansion, the new management will take on full-scale global challenges with technology and business know-how." She also left a message of support for the new management, saying, "I ask shareholders for their continuous support and encouragement for Naver's global growth story."

Now, attention turns to her future moves. Inside and outside the industry, there is speculation that CEO Han is likely to take charge of new businesses such as e-commerce in Europe, given that she has directly overseen investments in European companies. In fact, Naver made large-scale investments last year in Spain's top secondhand trading platform 'Wallapop' and Europe's luxury secondhand resale platform 'Vestiaire,' all of which are reported to have involved CEO Han deeply.

At the time of the Wallapop investment, CEO Han expressed a firm commitment to global business by stating, "We plan to review the long-term global potential with Wallapop so that it can become a milestone for sustainable global growth."

For now, CEO Han plans to focus on handing over her duties until her term ends in March. A Naver official said, "CEO Han, who has successfully led Naver's growth and innovation, will assist with the handover process until her term ends in March next year to ensure that the new leaders can stably lay the foundation for Naver's greater growth." The official added, "Even after that, she is expected to play necessary roles both inside and outside Naver by leveraging her expertise to help Naver continue its global challenges."

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