[비즈한국] Since the founder and former chairman of Korea Credit Information049720, the nation's No. 1 debt collection firm, Yoon Ui-guk, officially retired in June 2022, his eldest son, CEO Yoon Tae-hoon, has been leading the company. However, investigations reveal that there has been little progress in the succession of equity. Consequently, the business world is closely watching how CEO Yoon plans to secure his control.
Founded by former Chairman Yoon Ui-guk in 1991, the debt collection and credit investigation firm Korea Credit Information is currently led by his eldest son, CEO Yoon Tae-hoon. After joining the company in 2005 and serving in various positions, he ascended to the position of sole CEO in 2018. Following the former chairman's departure from frontline management in June 2022, second-generation management began in earnest. In 2018, the former chairman also gifted 500,000 shares of Korea Credit Information to CEO Yoon.
Although it has been two years since CEO Yoon Tae-hoon took the helm of Korea Credit Information, investigations show that there have been no significant changes in the succession of equity. Having only received 500,000 shares from the former chairman in 2018 and 300,000 shares last December from his mother, Shin Ye-chul (the former chairman's wife), he remains only the third-largest shareholder of Korea Credit Information. Currently, the largest shareholder of Korea Credit Information is former Chairman Yoon Ui-guk with a 15.1% stake, followed by the second-largest shareholder, Shin Ye-chul, with 12.7%. CEO Yoon holds 10.6%, and his older sister, Yoon Soo-yeon, CEO of Korea Humans, was confirmed to hold a 1.1% stake after receiving 150,000 shares from the former chairman in the first quarter of this year. As a result, some in the industry are analyzing that CEO Yoon’s control is significantly lacking.
Even Korea Humans, an affiliate that holds a 9.4% stake in Korea Credit Information, is not a company that helps strengthen CEO Yoon Tae-hoon’s control. Examining the equity structure of Korea Humans, his older sister, CEO Yoon Soo-yeon, holds 43.5%, former Chairman Yoon Ui-guk holds 33.45%, and Shin Ye-chul holds 23.05%; CEO Yoon Tae-hoon holds no stake. In fact, it is a company that helps strengthen the influence of CEO Yoon Soo-yeon. When comparing their control numerically, there is virtually no significant difference between CEO Yoon Tae-hoon (10.6%) and CEO Yoon Soo-yeon (10.5%, including her stake in Korea Humans). There is no shortage of concerns that a management dispute between the siblings could erupt at some point.
Bizhankook asked Korea Credit Information for its position regarding the second-generation owner's control and management succession, but the company only responded that they would "get back to us after checking" and did not disclose any official stance.