Major Jung Dajung and APR CEO Kim Byunghun Win Pony Jung Young Leader Award

Major Jung Dajung, the first female developmental test pilot in Korea, and Kim Byunghun, CEO of APR, who has achieved success in the global market with K-beauty, have been awarded the 6th Pony Jung Young Leader Award.

The Ponyjung Foundation held the 6th Ponyjung Young Leader Award ceremony at Ponyjung Hall in I-Park Tower, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, awarding this year's recipients, Major Jung Dajung and CEO Kim Byunghun. From left, CEO Kim Byunghun, Mrs. Park Youngja, Major Jung Dajung, and Chairman Jung Monggyu of the Ponyjung Foundation. Provided by the Ponyjung Foundation

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The Pony Jung Foundation held the 6th Pony Jung Young Leader Award ceremony on September 17 at Pony Jung Hall in I-Park Tower, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The event was attended by Chairman Jung Monggyu, the founder of the Pony Jung Foundation, members of the foundation's board of directors, Mrs. Park Youngja, the wife of the late honorary chairman Jung Seyoung of HDC Group (formerly Hyundai Development Company), as well as the families of the award recipients.

Jung Monggyu, Chairman of the Pony Jung Foundation, stated, "Just as the late honorary chairman Jung Seyoung did not settle for the status quo and introduced Korea's first independently developed car, the Pony, to the world, it is especially meaningful to select Major Jung Dajung and CEO Kim Byunghun as the 6th awardees for their pioneering spirit and tireless efforts to break new ground."

In her acceptance speech, Major Jung said, "I believe I am receiving this award on behalf of my colleagues who are at the forefront of national defense to safeguard the freedom and independence of Korea," and added, "I will do my utmost to ensure that the title of Korea's first female developmental test pilot is one I can be proud of."

CEO Kim stated, "I am grateful to everyone who has given me the honor of being called a 'young leader,' even though I still have much to learn," and continued, "I want to maintain the original mindset I had when founding the company and continue to pursue unceasing growth together with our customers."

Major Jung Dajung is a veteran pilot with approximately 1,400 flight hours to date and was the first Korean female officer selected for the developmental test pilot training program in 2019. She is currently responsible for evaluating the flight stability and performance of the KF-21 Boramae, Korea's next-generation supersonic fighter jet, which is scheduled for operational deployment in 2026. As one of the final eight selected test pilots, Major Jung also provides constructive feedback on other developing aircraft and hopes her work will contribute to the fields of national defense and aerospace.

CEO Kim Byunghun is a business leader who, within 10 years of founding APR, raised the company to the top of the cosmetics industry in terms of market capitalization. He is an emerging powerhouse in the K-beauty sector, achieving significant results in the global market. After setting a milestone in 2024 as the first startup within 10 years of establishment to be directly listed on the KOSPI market, he continues to draw significant attention in the capital market through steady sales growth and efforts to enhance shareholder value. CEO Kim plans to expand distribution channels to the United States and Japan and is committed to increasing influence in emerging markets such as Europe.

The Pony Jung Young Leader Award, established in 2020 as the 'Second Pony Jung Innovation Award,' aims to support young innovators. To carry on the spirit of innovation and challenge of the late honorary chairman Jung Seyoung, founder of Hyundai Motor Company and HDC Group (formerly Hyundai Development Company), the award selects two innovators under the age of 40 who have brought positive change to society, granting each a 50 million won prize and a trophy. Last year, the recipients were Go player Shin Jinseo (9-dan) and artist and actress Jung Eunhye.

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