Kim WooChoong Quotes

A collection of quotes by Kim WooChoong.

Kim Woo-choong is a South Korean businessman who gained international recognition as the founder and former chairman of Daewoo Group. Born on December 14, 1936, in South Korea, Kim played a significant role in the country's economic development during the 20th century.

Kim started his entrepreneurial journey in 1967 when he established Daewoo Industrial Company, a small textile trading firm. Under his leadership, the company grew rapidly, diversifying its operations into various sectors, including shipbuilding, construction, automobiles, and electronics. In the following decades, Daewoo Group became one of South Korea's major conglomerates, competing with other global giants such as Samsung and Hyundai.

However, the ambitious expansion of Daewoo Group led to significant debt and financial mismanagement. In the late 1990s, the Asian financial crisis heavily impacted the company, and it collapsed under a mountain of debt. As a result, Kim fled to France in 1999 to evade criminal charges related to fraud and corruption within the organization.

Despite his controversial legacy, Kim Woo-choong is remembered as a pioneering figure who played a crucial role in South Korea's industrialization and globalization. As a charismatic and visionary leader, he transformed Daewoo Group into a global powerhouse before its downfall. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the risks and consequences of rapid expansion and financial mismanagement in the corporate world. Kim passed away on December 9, 2019, at the age of 82.