Hanjin publishes biography in tribute to late Korean Air chairman

By Ko Dong-hwan

Hanjin Group has published a biography of its late chairman and former CEO of Korean Air Cho Yang-ho to commemorate his life, after he passed away five years ago at age 70, and celebrate his role in building the airliner into a global carrier, according to the family-owned conglomerate, Wednesday.

The group on Monday held a commemorative gathering for the late Cho in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and revealed the completed biography to some 130 guests. It was penned by Lee Im-gwang, a former Forbes Korea journalist, based on interviews with Cho’s friends and those who worked with him.

The book’s 10 chapters portray Cho’s business principles, perspective toward his employees, process of decision-making and delves into both the business and personal areas of his life.

Readers can learn how the late Cho developed Korean Air into a global airliner and how he introduced the company’s unique Systematic Management method to maximize an individual employee’s capabilities. Undisclosed episodes about his contribution to the country overcoming the nationwide financial crisis in 1997, the hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, as well as a collection of photos he took as a hobbyist, are also included in the new book.

Korea Enterprises Federation Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, known as one of Cho’s close friends, wrote a preface in the biography. Praising Cho’s leadership as “standing out in the history of the global aviation industry,” Sohn referred to his late friend as “a once-in-a-century aviation expert.”

“Even after his death, Korean Air and Hanjin Group have been sustaining their businesses without many tremors. It proves the sturdiness of the system he built, which has supported both establishments,” Sohn said in the book. “The book is full of episodes that have never been disclosed either before or after his death. He is portrayed as a busy bee, just as he was during his lifetime.”

Cho started working for Korean Air in 1974, which was founded by his father Cho Choong-hoon. He became president in 1992 and chairman of Hanjin Group in 2003. After his death, his eldest son Cho Won-tae took on the leadership role of the Hanjin Group.

Cho was at the forefront of establishing SkyTeam in 2000, which consisted of just four carriers ― Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air France and Aero Mexico ― at the time, but now has expanded to 19 airlines from five continents.