Shin Choon-ho (1 December 1930 – 27 March 2021) was a South Korean businessman who founded Nongshim in 1965.[1]
Biography
Shin Choon-ho was born on 1 December 1930 in Ulju County, Ulsan, Korea and was the third eldest son in the family. His older brother Shin Kyuk-ho was the founder of the Korean-Japanese conglomerate Lotte Corporation.
He graduated from Dong-A University in Busan in 1958 after serving as a police officer. He moved to Japan to help his brother with Lotte's confectionery business shortly afterwards.[1]
Shin founded Lotte Industrial Company, his own business separate from the existing company, in 1965 to focus on the ramyeon business.[2] In 1978, he renamed the company Nongshim, which means "farmer's heart," after his brother objected to his proposal to produce instant noodles.[1][3] The relationship between the two brothers reportedly soured, and the two never reconciled.[1]
Under Shin's leadership, Nongshim became South Korea's largest instant noodles maker and the fifth-largest in the world, and introduced popular products such as the Saeukkang, Shin Ramyun, Chapaghetti, and Neoguri.[1]
He died on 27 March 2021 at Seoul National University Hospital.[3] Shin is survived by his wife Kim Nak-yang, and five children. His eldest son, Shin Dong-won, became chairman of Nongshim.[4]
References
- Jee-hee Kim. Shin Choon-ho, founder of ramyeon giant Nongshim, dies at 91 Korea JoongAng Daily, retrieved 2022-03-22^
- 석민 오. Nongshim Group chairman dies Yonhap News Agency, 2021-03-27, retrieved 2022-03-22^
- Jo He-rim. Family, business community mourn late Nongshim Group chairman The Korea Herald, 2021-03-28, retrieved 2022-03-22^
- Jo He-rim. Nongshim Group inaugurates heir Shin Dong-won as new chairman The Korea Herald, 2021-07-01, retrieved 2022-03-22^