Today (27 March), in Seoul, at an extraordinary meeting of the general assembly, the Korean Register of Shipping (KR) elected Dr Chon Young-kee as its new Chairman & CEO.
The general assembly oversees the running of KR and comprises 86 voting members.
Prior to election, Dr Chon served as executive vice president of KR’s technical division and this is the first time in KR’s 53 year history that an internal appointment to Chairman and CEO has been made. Dr Chon formerly takes over from outgoing Chairman and CEO, Dr Oh Kong-gyun, who has served two three-year terms.
Dr Chon graduated from Seoul National University with a bachelor's degree in naval architecture and later gained both master and doctorate degrees from Stevenson University in the United States. Since joining KR in 1981, Dr Chon has held various positions including KR country manager in the UK, head of international affairs and head of KR’s R&D Center. He has served as executive vice president in charge of KR's technical division since 2007.
The new KR chairman has extensive field survey experience and is well versed in international maritime affairs having served as a representative of KR in the IACS general policy group (IACS GPG) and the IACS working group responsible for the development of common structural rules. He has also been deeply involved in various technical activities at IMO.
On being elected Dr Chon said: “Like all class societies, KR is facing many challenges stemming from the prolonged downturn affecting all shipping markets as well as increased competition amongst the classification societies. It will be tough to head a classification society under these conditions and I am sure I will face immense pressure to ensure economic sustainability while maintaining the high levels of quality that KR has become known for. I will ensure that KR continues to excel in its provision of high quality, global classification services and I will also push ahead with our ambitious plans to diversify into related growth sectors. I shall ensure that we continue to work closely with our stakeholders to promote the growth of KR and our industry partners.
I am delighted and honored to be elected and I look forward to leading the Korean Register into the next phase of its ongoing growth and development".