Chung Ju-yung or Jung Joo-young, was a South Korean entrepreneur and the founder of Hyundai Groups, one of the largest chaebols in South Korea. Raised as the eldest son of a poor Korean farmer, he became the richest man in South Korea. Chung was an integral part of the rapid development of Korea's economy, growing Hyundai Heavy Industries to be the largest shipbuilder in the world, as well as growing Hyundai Motor Group into the largest automobile manufacturer in Korea, and the third largest in the world. Chung was also a vital contributor to the development of South Korea's infrastructure after the Korean War's destruction of infrastructure, such as constructing the Gyeongbu Expressway in 1970, connecting the capital, Seoul, to the port city of Busan, in alliance with President Park Chung Hee.
Chung in 1998
Hyundai Group is a South Korean conglomerate founded by Chung Ju-yung. The group was founded in 1947 as a construction company. With government assistance, Chung and his family members rapidly expanded into various industries, eventually becoming South Korea's second chaebol. Chung Ju-yung was directly in control of the company until his death in 2001.
The former headquarters of Hyundai in Seoul, South Korea