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CEO Message
Executive Biography

CEO Message
 

2010 is the year of the Tiger, a symbol of courage, power and determination and we wish all of our customers and friends good health and fortune throughout the year. 

Our greatest priority is to offer the best service possible to our customers.  We understand that customer needs and expectations are ever-rising, and we continue to upgrade our cabin interiors, in-flight entertainment, aircraft, service and network.  We at Korean Air promise you that we will continue to uphold our long-standing commitment to “Excellence in Flight”

and providing our customers with service they want to return to.

As a major global carrier, Korean Air is taking an industry leadership position on green initiatives.  Climate change is an issue affecting societies, economies, cultures and everyday lives of people worldwide.  We at Korean Air will act as a responsible participant in the world community, and we will try to make a difference by being the best airline we can be.

In the past 41 years, Korean Air has grown quickly into a major global airline, serving six continents and 117 cities in 39 countries.  Our employees and management are proud to be of service to you.  It is an honor to share in the excitement and successes the year of the Tiger brings to our customers and friends, and we look forward to serving you in the near future.

January 2, 2010
Yang-Ho Cho / Chairman and CEO
Korean Air

Executive Biography

Yang Ho Cho
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Korean Air


Yang Ho Cho is chairman and chief executive officer of Korean Air, one of the leaders in the global aviation industry and the largest international airline cargo carrier.

Mr. Cho was named Chairman and CEO of Korean Air in April 1999, having served as President and CEO since 1992.  Mr. Cho began working for Korean Air as a manager in the Americas Regional Headquarters in 1974.  He worked his way up in the company ranks by continually adding various departments to his overall responsibilities - including maintenance, marketing, purchasing, information systems and corporate planning. 

Mr. Cho received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Inha University (Incheon, Korea) in 1975, an MBA from USC in 1979, and a doctoral degree in business administration from Inha University in 1988.  He received honorary doctorate degrees in aviation business administration from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida in 1998 and from Ukraine National Aviation University in 2006. 

Mr. Cho is also chairman of the Hanjin Group – one of the world’s largest transportation conglomerates.  He was named to this post in February 2003 after having served as the Group’s vice chairman since 1996.  He is also a director of various subsidiary companies including Hanjin Shipping, Korea Airport Service and HIST.  In March of 2008, Mr. Cho was elected chairman of the board of directors of S-Oil, on which he has served since 2007 based on the shareholders’ agreement between Saudi Aramco and Korean Air.

In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Mr. Cho was elected vice-chairman of The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) in 1996 and holds the title of honorary consulate-general to Ireland in the Republic of Korea since 1995.  He was named Chairman of the Korea-French High Level Businessmen’s Club in October 2000 and Chairman of the Korea-Saudi Arabia Business Council in May 2008.  In June 2008, he was re-elected to the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the fifth time.  He is currently serving as Chairman of the Korea Defense Industry Association since 2004.  

Mr. Cho has been on the USC Board of Trustees since 1997, and is chairman of the board of trustees at Inha and Hankuk Aviation universities.  He became the 20th Chairman of the Korea Table Tennis Association in July 2008, and also took place as the East Asia Regional Vice President of the Asia Table Tennis Union from November 2009.  Also in July 2009, he became a member of the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) and took on the responsibility as co-chairman of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Bidding Committee in September.   

Mr. Cho’s commitment to serve the public with transportation has been widely recognized. In 2004, he received the title of “Commandeur” in the Legion D’Honneur, the highest civilian honor awarded in France. In 2005, Mr. Cho was awarded the title of Mongol’s Polaris, the highest civilian honor granted by the Mongolian government.  Korea’s Academic Society of Business Administration awarded him with its CEO award in March 2009 for his contributions to Korean society and its economy.  In April 2009, he was inducted to the TIACA (The International Air Cargo Association) Hall of Fame in recognition for his significant contribution to the development of the air cargo industry.

Mr. Cho is married, with one son, two daughters and two grandchildren.