Oscar Winner Youn Yuh-Jung’s Sister Was LG’s First Female CEO

Yuh-Jung and her two sisters had a difficult life growing up. Their mother, who was a teacher at an elementary school, raised them singlehandedly after their father passed away from an illness when Yeo-Soon was just two.

Yeo-Soon mentioned in a previous interview that her mum, who passed away last October at the age of 96, was her “role model in life”.

After graduation from Yonsei University, one of three most prestigious universities in Korea, Yeo-Soon followed her husband, who was furthering his studies, to the United States.

Though she was there just as "the spouse of an overseas student", she decided to further her studies after learning she could apply for a scholarship.

She eventually obtained a Master's degree and doctorate from Iowa State University and joined LG after returning to Korea. At that time, she was the first female employee in the company and quickly rose the ranks to become the first woman in a senior management position after just five years.

In 2010, she became LG’s first female CEO of LG and the representative of the LG Art Center the following year.

She officially retired four years later at 59, and became a writer. Her autobiography, the title of which can be loosely translated as The Elegant Winning Woman, was loved by critics and quickly became a best-seller.

Impressed by the achievements of the Youn sisters, netizens have gone on to praise the siblings for being “role models” and for having “an awesome family".

Photos: Dispatch, TPG News/Click Photos