Chung Ju Yung

▪ 2002

      South Korean businessman (b. Nov. 25, 1915, Tongchon, Korea—d. March 21, 2001, Seoul, S.Kor.), was the founder of the Hyundai Group, one of the world's largest business conglomerates. He was credited with having played a leading role in the revival of the South Korean economy in the aftermath of the Korean War. Born into a poor farming family, Chung got his start in business as the owner of an auto repair shop. He poured his earnings into other ventures and established Hyundai Engineering and Construction in 1947. Chung was awarded lucrative contracts by South Korean leader Park Chung Hee and was eventually able to acquire the Hyundai Motor Co. and the Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., among other firms, as part of his business empire. He ran unsuccessfully for president in 1992. Although Hyundai's overall sales approached $80 billion per year in the 1990s, the conglomerate fell heavily into debt and was forced to accept government mandates to downsize its global operations. In later years Chung helped South Korean Pres. Kim Dae Jung in his efforts to engage North Korea in dialogue; Chung donated cattle and corn (maize) to the North in 1998 and sponsored a tourism project in the North's Mt. Kumgang region. He officially retired from Hyundai in 2000.

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