Park Soon-jae
Park Soon-jae | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 22, 1954 Gunsan, South Korea |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Biochemist |
| Known for | CEO and co-founder of Alteogen |
Park Soon-jae (; born December 22, 1954) is a South Korean entrepreneur and biochemist. He serves as the chief executive officer and co-founder of a biotechnology company, which he established alongside his wife, Chung Hye-shin, who formerly held the position of chief scientific officer. Forbes listed him as the 23rd wealthiest person in South Korea in 2025, with an estimated net worth of US$3 billion.
Biography
Originating from Gunsan, South Korea, Park completed his secondary education at Seoul High School in 1973. He then obtained a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Yonsei University in 1980, followed by a doctorate in biochemistry from Purdue University in 1985.
From 1986 to 1988, Park engaged in research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before returning to South Korea to pursue various roles within biotechnology research sectors. In 1998, he assumed the position of head of development at LG Chem and subsequently progressed to senior roles within its life sciences division.
By 2006, Park was serving as managing director at Dream Pharma (드림파마). In 2008, he co-established Alteogen with Chung Hye-shin, later taking on leadership roles including chairman (2009–2010) and vice president (2010–2011) at a pharmaceutical firm prior to becoming Alteogen’s CEO around 2010–2011. As of mid-2024, he possessed a 19.2% ownership stake in Alteogen. In December 2024, Alteogen reached the highest market capitalization on the KOSDAQ exchange. The significant increase in the company’s stock value that year contributed to Park achieving billionaire status in US dollars.
Personal life
Park is married to Chung Hye-shin, who co-founded Alteogen and formerly served as its chief scientific officer; she is also a professor at Hannam University. Both hold doctoral degrees from Purdue University and have conducted research at MIT. They have one daughter, Park Su-min (). As of June 2024, Chung owned a 0.8% share in Alteogen, while their daughter held 0.5%. Chung resigned from the company in September 2023 and divested most of her shares in early 2024. Meanwhile, Park Soon-jae reassured investors that he would maintain his ownership stakes. Chung intends to dedicate her efforts to nonprofit initiatives and other ventures within biotechnology.