Korea Venture Investment Corporation Appoints Daehee Lee as New CEO

by Kim Daehyun

Published 02 May.2025 17:07(KST)

On May 2, Korea Venture Investment Corporation announced that Daehee Lee, former Director General for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (age 55), has been appointed as the new CEO. This appointment comes 18 months after the voluntary resignation of former CEO Woonghwan Yoo.

Daehee Lee, CEO of Korea Venture Investment Corporation

The new CEO, Lee, graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Business Administration and earned a master's degree in International Finance and European Studies from the University of Birmingham in the UK. He is the first CEO from a government official background, having passed the 37th civil service exam and served as Director General of Economic Structural Reform at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Director General for Small Business Policy, Director General for SME Policy, and Director General for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Lee's term will last three years, and he is scheduled to officially begin his duties with an inauguration ceremony on May 7.

Lee stated, "I will strive to make Korea's venture ecosystem even more innovative, leveraging the experience, expertise, and network I have built as a government official." He added, "Although the internal and external environment is challenging, I will strengthen the roles of the Fund of Funds and Korea Venture Investment Corporation so that venture startups can become a driving force for the country's new growth."

Korea Venture Investment Corporation, a public institution under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, was established in 2005 based on the Act on Promotion of Venture Investment (formerly the Special Act on the Promotion of Venture Businesses). As of March, it manages a Fund of Funds totaling 10.8513 trillion won, serving as a priming force in supplying venture investment capital to the market.