Bang Jun-hyuk
Bang Jun-hyuk | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 23, 1968 Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder and chairman of Netmarble; chairman of Coway |
Bang Jun-hyuk (; born December 23, 1968) is a prominent South Korean entrepreneur, recognized as the founder and chairman of Netmarble, the leading mobile gaming enterprise in South Korea. After Netmarble's 2019 acquisition of Coway, he also assumed the role of chairman at Coway. As of April 2024, Forbes valued his net worth at US$1.01 billion, placing him as the 40th wealthiest individual in South Korea.
Biography
Originating from a modest background in Seoul, Bang left high school in 1985 to provide financial support for his family. His initial business attempts included an unsuccessful internet movie rental service and a startup that failed to recover its investments. During this period, he became involved with the struggling game developer Ipopsoft (), securing funding and ultimately taking control to restructure it into Netmarble. Under his guidance, Netmarble saw significant expansion.
In 2004, CJ Group acquired Netmarble; however, Bang resigned in 2006 due to health concerns and took a five-year break from the industry. Prior to his comeback, he was reportedly preparing to establish a new gaming firm but returned at CJ's invitation. Upon resuming leadership, he steered Netmarble’s focus toward mobile gaming. By 2015, the company ranked eighth worldwide in app revenue. In 2016, Bang owned roughly 32% of Netmarble's shares.
The May 2017 initial public offering of Netmarble raised US$2.4 billion, marking South Korea’s largest IPO in seven years and elevating Bang to the status of the richest self-made billionaire and sixth wealthiest individual nationally, holding a 24.47% ownership stake.
Although there has been speculation about a family connection between Bang Jun-hyuk and fellow businessman Bang Si-hyuk, no such relationship exists. These rumors intensified following Netmarble’s acquisition of shares in Big Hit Entertainment in 2018.
Personal life
Bang is married to Shin Hye-yeong () and has three children: two sons and one daughter.