Hanjin Group, the parent company of Korean Air, announced its annual executive appointments on Wednesday, elevating President Woo Kee-hong to vice chairman of the country's largest airline and flag carrier.
This marks the first such promotion since the airline's merger with Asiana Airlines in December, marking a new era for one of Asia's largest carriers.
Woo, who has served as president since 2019, steps into the vice chairman role, filling a position vacant since 2019, when former Vice President Seok Tae-soo resigned.
As the highest-ranking executive to receive a promotion, Woo is among 18 executives at Korean Air promoted this year. Park Hee-don and Eum Jae-dong were appointed vice presidents, while three individuals were promoted to executive vice president and 12 others to executive director.
Hanjin KAL, the holding company of Hanjin Group, also appointed Ryu Kyeong-pyo, the current president and CEO of Hanjin KAL, as its vice chair.
Asiana Airlines has announced 15 executive promotions, including the appointments of Song Bo-young, Cho Sung-bae, and Kang Du-seok as vice presidents. Additionally, five individuals were promoted to executive vice president, and seven others were named executive directors.
These executive changes, according to a group official, will help the newly merged airline take a big step forward as an integrated carrier. With a focus on safety and service, the airline aims to strengthen its position as a global aviation leader while contributing to the development of the Korean aviation sector, the official added.