Ryu Kwang-ji

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ryu Kwang-ji (born May 25, 1966) is a South Korean businessman and the chairman of Kumyang, an industrial chemical company. He was born in Gunwi County, North Gyeongsang Province, and graduated from Neungin High School in 1985 and Korea University School of Law in 1990. He worked in mergers and acquisitions at Seoul Securities in 1994. He joined Kumyang in 1998 in financial management, became head of financial planning in 1999, and was named president of Kumyang’s China subsidiary, Kunming Jin Yang Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd, in 2001. In November 2001 he became CEO of Kumyang, a position he has held since. By March 2024 he owned about 39.6% of Kumyang, with other relatives holding less than 1%. Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.22 billion in April 2024, ranking him 28th richest in South Korea. Kumyang has posted profits in most years since 2003, and salaries rose about 10% annually since 2009. The company was relatively obscure until around 2022 when it began moving into electric vehicle batteries, which boosted investor interest. Previously, Kumyang mainly earned money from blowing agents used in plastic foam for sneakers and other consumer products.