홈 About Taekwang History
Founder Introduction

Founder Introduction

Trees should grow with the forest.

Founding Chairman Lee Im-yong, whose penname was Ilju, proved himself proof that success could come in Korea from walking a straight path, without meddling with real estate, without running business with borrowed money, without mobilizing political influence, or sticking to principles in manufacturing. (From Trees Should Grow with the Forest, a collection of writings in memory of Founding Chairman Lee Im-yong with the Penname of Ilju)
  • May 7, 1921Born in Cheongha-myeon, Yeongil-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
  • 1935Graduated from Cheongha Public Common School
  • 1937Moved to Japan where he studied at Tsutsui Vocational School in Nagoya
  • Oct. 25, 1950Started his business career by forming joint venture with Dongyang Industry (Foundation day of Taekwang Industrial Co., Ltd.)
  • 1954Established Taekwang Industrial Company
  • 1971Acquired Dongyang Synthetic Fiber and created Taekwang Industrial Ulsan plants
  • 1973Acquired Heungkuk Life Insurance
  • 1975Acquired Daehan Synthetic Fiber
  • 1977Created Ilju Educational Foundation and attained the approval for building Sehwa Girls' Junior-High and High School
  • 1979Taekwang Industrial’s Spandex fiber manufacturing plant was established
  • 1988Taekwang Group, registered as the top level in terms of stability and profitability among 50 major conglomerates in Korea (compiled by Management Efficiency Research Institute)
  • Jul. 19, 1990Created Ilju Academy and Culture Foundation and became as its first Chairman of Board of Directors
  • 1993Taekwang Industrial received “Best Listed Company of 1992 Prize” and Daehan Synthetic Fiber received “Best Company Prize” (from Daishin Economic Research Institute)
  • 1994Construction commencement of Petrochemical Plant 1
  • 1995Construction commencement of Petrochemical Plant 2 & 3
  • Nov. 2, 1996Passed away at the age 76

Awards

  • - Received Presidential Citation for Contribution to Export (on the 7th, 10th, and 11th Trade Commemoration Day).
  • - Gold Tower Industry Medal conferred (posthumously) in 1996.
View Collection of Writing in Memory of Ilju