Koo Bon-moo
Koo Bon-moo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 February 1945 Jinju, Korea |
| Died | 20 May 2018 (aged 73) Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupation | Corporate leader |
| Known for | Chairman of LG Group |
Koo Bon-moo (; 10 February 1945 – 20 May 2018) was a prominent South Korean corporate leader, best known for his stewardship and rebranding of the LG Group.
Early life
Koo was born on 10 February 1945 in Jinju, Korea during the period of Japanese occupation (currently part of South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea). He pursued higher education at Yonsei University before relocating to Ohio, where he obtained his bachelor's degree from Ashland University and subsequently completed a master's degree at Cleveland State University.
Business career
Following his studies, Koo returned to South Korea in 1975 and began working at Lucky Chemical, which was later renamed LG Chem. In 1980, he moved to GoldStar, serving as head of its Tokyo branch from 1983 until 1985. In 1995, he took over as chairman of LG Group from his father, Koo Cha-kyung, continuing the family's tradition of male succession. After the tragic loss of his only son in 1994, Koo adopted his nephew, Koo Kwang-mo, in 2004 to be his successor. Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2017, Koo Bon-moo passed away in Seoul on 20 May 2018 at the age of 73.