Chung Yoo-kyung
Chairman, Shinsegae
The heiress and fashion executive introduced foreign brands like Armani to Korea's top luxury department store.
The only daughter of Lee Myung-hee, the former General Chairwoman of the luxury department store group Shinsegae, Chung Yoo-kyung was made an executive of South Korea’s largest retailing group at the age of 24 in 1999. Today, as of October 2024, she is the Chairman of Shinsegae, overseeing the group's department store, fashion, beauty and duty-free divisions. Since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she studied graphic design, Chung has established herself as a formidable presence in the fashion industry, seeking out and introducing international labels to the domestic market.
Thanks to her efforts, the fashion unit — Shinsegae International — now boasts the largest number of global fashion brands, including Armani, Maison Margiela, Marni, Dries Van Noten, Moncler and Givenchy. Since 2001, the retail group has also acquired real estate in Seoul's upscale Cheongdam-dong district and secured the rights for the Western luxury brands that have opened stores there. Chung was also responsible for transforming the second floor of the Shinsegae Gangnam outpost into a premier destination for luxury cosmetics. Under her leadership, the Gangnam branch became the first single department store in Korea to surpass 3 trillion won ($2.1 billion) in annual sales in 2024.
Formerly part of the Samsung Group before being spun off in the late 1990s, Shinsegae now operates as two distinct business pillars; while her brother, Chung Yong-jin, leads the E-Mart segment, Chung Yoo-kyung maintains independent management of the department store wing. Following a final transfer of shares from her mother in May 2025, her stake in the company rose to 29.16 percent, consolidating her position as the largest stakeholder and formalising the group's succession.
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