SK 留任主要子公司 CEO，任命 Chung Seung-il 領導 SK Innovation

SK Group has announced its 2027 executive appointments, retaining the chief executive officers (CEOs) of major affiliates while reshuffling energy business leadership centered on SK Innovation. The appointments suggest the group is prioritizing continuity over sweeping management changes as its core businesses, including artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, continue to perform well.

SK Group announced the 2027 executive appointments approved by its affiliates’ boards of directors following an extraordinary meeting of the SUPEX Council on Oct. 30. SK Innovation named Chung Seung-il and Kang Dong-soo as co-CEOs to lead its transition toward the power business and improve profitability. SK hynix established a new president-level Americas headquarters to strengthen its engagement with major technology customers.

SK Group said the appointments were designed to “ensure management continuity by retaining key CEOs while assigning executives to carry out business restructuring and future growth strategies.”

The most significant changes were at SK Innovation. Effective Nov. 1, SK Innovation appointed Chung Seung-il, president in charge of future growth at SK Inc., as executive president, and Kang Dong-soo, president and head of the Portfolio Management (PM) Division at SK Inc., as president. Kang will also serve concurrently as president of SK Energy.

Chung will oversee expansion of the power business and future growth strategies, while Kang will focus on improving operational efficiency and the business portfolio of existing energy operations. The appointments reflect SK Group’s restructuring strategy of channeling cash generated by existing businesses into investments in future growth areas.

Chung is an energy industry veteran who previously served as vice minister of trade, industry and resources, president of Korea Gas Corporation and president of Korea Electric Power Corporation. He has experience across the energy industry, including natural gas supply and demand, power generation infrastructure and electricity market operations. He joined SK Inc. this year as president in charge of future growth.

Kang is a strategy and finance specialist who previously headed the Solution & Platform Task Force at SK Energy and the Portfolio Division at SK Innovation. He has been responsible for group-wide business portfolio adjustments and investment decisions.

Existing SK Innovation executives will move to other roles within the group. Jang Yong-ho will step down as CEO of SK Innovation while retaining his position as CEO of SK Inc. Choo Hyeong-wook will become head of SK Group’s newly established Southeast Asia regional headquarters. The group is adding Southeast Asia to its existing regional headquarters covering the Americas, China and Japan.

The group also reshuffled executives at its energy and chemical affiliates. Kim Won-ki, president of SK Enmove’s company-in-company (CIC), will concurrently serve as CEO of SK Geo Centric, while SK Earthon appointed Kim Kyung-joon, head of its Planning and Business Support Office, as its new president. Kim Tae-jin, head of the Crude Oil Business Division, was named president of SK On Trading International (SKTI), a CIC under SK On.

SK Discovery and SK Gas also changed their CEOs. SK Discovery named Yoon Byung-seok, president of SK Gas, as its new CEO, while SK Gas appointed Song Kyung-yeol, head of its Strategy Division, as CEO.

At holding company SK Inc., Jang Yong-ho will remain CEO, while Kim Sun-hyuk, head of SKC’s Strategy Division, was promoted to president. Kwon Young-soo, head of SK Innovation’s Strategy Division, was appointed president in charge of the SUPEX Council, the group’s highest-level consultative body.

SK hynix retained CEO Kwak Noh-jung while reassigning several senior executives. Ahn Hyun, president and head of development, will become president of the Americas headquarters. Cha Sun-yong, president and head of the Future Technology Research Institute, will take over as president in charge of development while concurrently retaining his research institute role. Yoon Poong-young, a president at the SUPEX Council, will move to SK hynix as president and head of the Corporate Center.

An SK Group official said the appointments were intended to “strengthen fundamental competitiveness amid an uncertain business environment and create a new turning point through proactive business restructuring and technological innovation.” The official added that the group would accelerate efforts to achieve qualitative growth and enhance corporate value.