Kang Shin-ho, Honorary Chairman of Dong-A Socio Holdings, Passes Away at 96

Kang Shin-ho, Chairman of Dong-A Socio Holdings

Kang Shin-ho, honorary chairman of Dong-A Socio Holdings, passed away in the early morning of the 3rd. He died at the age of 96.

The late Honorary Chairman Kang Shin-ho, born in Sangju, Gyeongsangbuk-do in 1927, graduated from Seoul National University School of Medicine in 1955 and received a doctorate in medicine from the University of Freiburg, Germany in 1958. Afterwards, he participated in the management of Dong-A Pharmaceutical in 1959 and pursued a single career in the pharmaceutical and bio industry throughout his life.

Although Honorary Chairman Kang is a second-generation businessman following his father, the late founder Chairman Kang Jung-hee, he is actually called the founding generation who developed Dong-A Pharmaceutical into a leading pharmaceutical company in Korea, including developing blockbuster products such as Bacchus, a nutritional tonic. Honorary Chairman Kang set the goal of ‘realizing human health and happiness’ and took office as CEO in 1975, succeeding the late founding chairman Kang Jung-hee. He led the group for nearly 60 years until he retired from management in 2016. Korea’s first erectile dysfunction treatment new drug ‘Zydena’ and natural product drug ‘Styrene’ were created under his leadership.

Honorary Chairman Kang is considered a living witness and history of the Korean pharmaceutical industry. He was the first in the domestic pharmaceutical industry to establish a corporate research center in 1977 and led the development of new drugs and entry into the global market, emphasizing the importance of investment in research and development (R&D). In 1980, it established the first professional training center in the pharmaceutical industry, and achieved achievements such as being designated as Korea’s first KGMP qualified company in 1985.

He was also active in social activities, serving as president of the Korea Pharmaceutical Association in 1987, president of the Korea Industrial Technology Association in 1992, and president of the Federation of Korean Industries from 2004 to 2007. He conducted the ‘College Students’ Homeland Journey’ every year, and when he served as the chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, he created the ‘FKI 1% Club’, where member companies return more than 1% of their current profits to society.

He was awarded the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in 1984, the Moran Medal of the National Merit in 1994, and the National Science and Technology Creation Medal in 2002. His funeral is at Seoul National University Hospital Funeral Hall No. 1, the funeral is at 6:30 a.m. on October 5, and the burial site is Seonsan, Daehyeon-ri, Ian-myeon, Sangju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

2023-10-03 02:15:00
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