Seo Jung-jin (businessman)
Seo Jung-jin | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 23, 1957 Cheongju, South Korea |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Cofounder and chairman of Celltrion |
Seo Jung-jin (; born October 23, 1957) is a prominent South Korean entrepreneur and ranks among the nation's wealthiest individuals, with an estimated net worth of US$7.2 billion as of December 2024, placing him third in the country. He serves as chairman and is a cofounder of the pharmaceutical firm Celltrion.
Biography
Seo was born in Cheongju, South Korea, and completed his education at Konkuk University, obtaining both a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA. His professional journey began at Samsung Electronics, followed by a role as a consultant for Daewoo Motors.
In 1999, Seo established Nexol (), which later evolved into Celltrion, alongside ten former colleagues from Daewoo. Although he stepped down in March 2021, he resumed the chairman position in March 2023. By that year, Seo held controlling interest of 97.2% in Celltrion Holdings, which maintains major shares in Celltrion (23%), Celltrion Pharm (55%), and Celltrion Healthcare (24.3%).
Personal life
Seo's two sons play key roles within Celltrion’s management: Seo Jin-seok acts as chairman of the board for both Celltrion and Celltrion Pharm, while Seo Jun-suk leads as chairman of Celltrion Healthcare. Their appointments in 2024 strengthened the family’s influence over company governance despite Seo’s earlier 2019 remarks advocating for leadership outside the family.
Between 2001 and 2012, Seo was involved in a common-law partnership with a woman who became CEO of Seorin Holdings and Seowon D&D, subsidiaries linked to Celltrion. The couple had two daughters but later became estranged following deterioration of their relationship. Seo fulfilled child support obligations but faced disputes over financial claims that led to a police complaint. In 2021, his family registry was updated to officially recognize these daughters.