Korea Food Industry Association Presidential Election Reaches Resolution... Park Jinseon of Sempio Likely to Lead

Transition Back to Original Election Procedures After Bylaw Amendments Fail
Decision Expected at Extraordinary General Meeting This Month, Focus on Restoring Industry Trust
"The Association Must Serve the Entire Industry" ? Emphasis on Public Interest

The months-long process of electing a new president for the Korea Food Industry Association is expected to conclude by the end of this month. The association plans to hold its 160th board meeting and an extraordinary general meeting to elect a new president. There is a strong likelihood that Park Jinseon, CEO of Sempio Foods, will assume the presidency through a single-candidate nomination process.

According to the food industry on July 9, the association announced the opening of nominations for the presidency the previous day and sent official documents to its approximately 190 member companies. After verifying candidate registration documents and notifying members of the agenda, the final president will be elected at the extraordinary general meeting to be held at the end of this month.

Park Jinseon, CEO of Sempio Foods, is posing before an interview on the 12th at Sempio Heritage Space in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Presidential Election Delayed by Five Months

The election of the president has been delayed by about five months compared to the original plan. At the regular general meeting held at the end of February, both Park Jinseon and Hwang Jonghyun, CEO of SPC Samlip, expressed their intention to run, creating a competitive structure that led to the collapse of the traditional board-nomination method.

In response, the association convened an extraordinary general meeting to amend its bylaws and change the election method. However, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety withheld approval, citing procedural issues such as whether a quorum was met.

Ultimately, after seeking external legal advice, the association decided to withdraw the bylaw amendments and revert to the original election procedure. With CEO Hwang resigning on May 30, Park Jinseon is now seen as the likely sole nominee. The association stated, "We will expedite the election process to minimize procedural confusion and normalize the association's operations."

Born in 1950, Park Jinseon graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in electronic engineering, earned a master's in electronic engineering from Stanford University in the United States, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Ohio State University. After serving as a professor at Villanova University in the United States, he joined Sempio in 1994 and has served as CEO since 1997. If Park is elected president of the association, he will become the first father-son duo to serve as presidents, following in the footsteps of his late father, honorary chairman Park Seungbok. The late honorary chairman Park served as the 15th to 17th president during the period when the organization was known as the Korea Food Industry Association.

"The Association Must Become a Substantive Support Organization"

The food industry is currently facing complex challenges, including instability in raw material supply, strengthened food safety regulations, the expansion of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations, and the need to establish export strategies. Both within and outside the industry, there are calls for the association to play a coordinating role and strengthen its policy response capabilities.

Park Jinseon has emphasized that "the association must represent the entire industry, not the interests of specific companies," and that "it must be reborn as an organization with substantive support and coordination functions to enable both large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises to grow together." Since March, Park has been exchanging opinions with member companies and considering the direction of the association's operations.

Park has identified the introduction of a joint raw material purchasing and supply adjustment system, as well as the establishment of a consulting system for food safety and quality management, as key tasks. He also plans to expand information provision and support for participation in exhibitions for companies seeking to enter overseas markets.

In addition, Park intends to overhaul the management system to ensure transparent operation of the association's budget and to prepare customized support measures for small and medium-sized member companies. In times of crisis, he also aims to strengthen the association's core function of representing the industry by facilitating smooth communication with the government and external parties.

An industry official commented, "Park Jinseon has a strong will to restore the public nature and representativeness of the association," adding, "The uncertainty in the association's operations caused by the vacancy in the presidency will be resolved."

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