Hyosung Holds Second Anniversary Memorial for Honorary Chairman Cho Seok-rae... Remembering His Legacy of Technology-Driven Management

Family Members and Executives Attend

Achievements in Spandex and Carbon Fiber Highlighted

The second anniversary memorial service for the late Jo Seok-rae, Honorary Chairman of Hyosung Group, was held quietly on March 27.

At the memorial service for the late Cho Seok-rae, Honorary Chairman of Hyosung, held on the 27th at Hyosung's Mapo headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Hyosung executives and employees are seen offering flowers and observing a moment of silence. Courtesy of Hyosung Group

According to Hyosung Group, the memorial service took place for about 40 minutes starting at 8:30 a.m. on March 27 in the auditorium of the Hyosung headquarters in Mapo, Seoul. The event was attended by family members, including his eldest son, Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, and his third son, HS Hyosung Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sang, as well as executives, employees, and guests.

The ceremony began with a moment of silence for the deceased, followed by an introduction of his career, the reading of a memorial address, a video presentation of his life, and a flower-laying ceremony.

Born in 1935 in Haman, Gyeongsangnam-do, Honorary Chairman Jo graduated from Kyunggi High School and Hibiya High School in Japan, then earned a degree from the School of Science and Engineering at Waseda University. He later received a master's degree in chemical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Originally preparing for a career in academia, he returned to Korea in 1966 and entered the business world.

He subsequently led the construction of the Ulsan Plant of Dongyang Nylon, the predecessor of Hyosung. Starting as CEO of Dongyang Nylon in 1970, he went on to lead Dongyang Polyester, Hyosung Corporation, and Hyosung Heavy Industries, contributing to the advancement of Korea's manufacturing sector.

After becoming the second chairman in 1982, he transformed Hyosung into a global company through management innovation and overseas market expansion. Notably, he established Korea's first private technology research institute and focused on securing proprietary technologies through technology-centered management.

As a result, in 1992, Hyosung succeeded in developing its own spandex technology, becoming the fourth company in the world to do so. Since 2010, Hyosung's spandex has maintained the top global market share. In addition, he achieved results in future materials such as carbon fiber and polyketone.

He also proactively pioneered overseas markets, including China and Vietnam, establishing a global production and sales network.

From 2007 to 2011, Honorary Chairman Jo served as chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries. He also played a significant role in private economic diplomacy, serving as the Korean chair of the Korea-U.S. Business Council and as president of the Korea-Japan Economic Association.

After the memorial service, family members and company executives moved to the family burial site in Gyeonggi Province for a separate memorial event. Hyosung kept the memorial hall at its headquarters open until 5:30 p.m. to allow all employees to lay flowers in remembrance.

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