Chairman Choi Byung-oh of Hyungji Appointed as Chairman of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries

Unanimous Decision at the 1st Extraordinary General Meeting of Seomsanryeon on the 17th

Choi Byung-oh, chairman of Fashion Group Hyungji, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries.

The Korea Federation of Textile Industries announced on the 17th that it held the '2023 1st Extraordinary General Meeting' and unanimously appointed Chairman Choi Byung-oh as the 16th chairman of the federation, succeeding Chairman Lee Sang-woon. Chairman Choi's term will be three years, from the 19th until August 18, 2026.

Chairman Choi was born in 1953 in Busan and started his clothing business as a small merchant at Dongdaemun Plaza Market in 1982. He has grown Fashion Group Hyungji into a leading domestic fashion company by operating about 2,000 stores under 17 brands including Crocodile Lady and Olivia Hassler, and diversifying distribution businesses.

In 2022, to accelerate global management, he established the 'Hyungji Global Fashion Complex Center' in Songdo, Incheon, an international city, nurturing it as an advanced base for global business. Recently, leveraging the 70th anniversary of the Korea-US alliance and accompanying President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit to the United States as part of the economic delegation, he has been actively entering the US military supply clothing market and golf wear sector, intensifying efforts to expand overseas markets and transform from a native brand into a global brand.

Hyungji Elite is implementing a two-track strategy through its Chinese joint venture 'Shanghai Elite,' operating both directly managed stores and agencies, planning to expand its sales network throughout China. The company aims to achieve the number one market share in the premium school uniform market within the next five years.

Regarding his appointment, Chairman Choi expressed, "I feel a heavy responsibility to undertake this important mission at this critical golden time for the textile and fashion industry’s resurgence." He emphasized, "It is essential to accurately diagnose the problems of Korea’s textile and fashion industry and for the industry to unite, communicate, and cooperate." He added, "To overcome the crisis caused by the global economic downturn and weakened competitiveness in the domestic textile and fashion industry, I will establish and promote an action plan for the industry’s resurgence based on communication and integration among streams."

Chairman Choi has served as chairman of Crown, Hyungji Trading, and Hyungji Apparel, and is currently chairman of Fashion Group Hyungji. He has held positions such as chairman of the Korea Apparel Industry Association and chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Committee for Medium-sized Enterprises. Currently, he serves as vice chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, director of the Environmental Foundation, senior vice chairman of the Korea Federation of Medium-sized Enterprises, chairman of the ESG Forum, and chairman of the Busan Textile and Fashion Industry Federation.

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