K-culture expansion architect: Chae Hwi-young, tech and media veteran, named culture minister
At a presidential briefing, Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff, announced the nomination, describing Chae as a private-sector leader whose vision aligns closely with President Lee's goal of expanding the cultural industry.
'Chae brings a diverse background as a former online portal executive and travel platform entrepreneur. He is a private-sector leader whose expertise and innovative thinking align with the president's vision to expand the K-culture market into a 300-trillion-won industry,' Kang said.
Born in Seoul in 1964, Chae earned a degree in English language and literature from Sogang University. He began his career as a journalist, working at Yonhap News Agency from 1991 to 1995 and at YTN from 1995 to 2000, covering both culture and politics.
Chae entered the tech industry in the early 2000s, working at Yahoo Korea from 2000 to 2002 before joining NHN — now Naver — in December 2002. There, he served as head of planning, executive director of domestic business, and ultimately as CEO from 2007 to 2009.
He later served as CEO of NHN Business Platform from 2009 to 2013 and as a management adviser at Naver in 2014.
In 2016, Chae co-founded the travel tech startup Triple. He was also appointed CEO of Interpark following its acquisition by Yanolja and has since led the company. In January, he spearheaded a major rebranding initiative, changing the company's name to Nol Universe.
Alongside his corporate career, Chae has actively participated in public-private partnerships supporting cultural initiatives. Nol Universe was an official partner for the Ministry of Culture's 'Youth Culture and Arts Pass' program launched last year, aimed at improving cultural accessibility for young people and revitalizing the performing arts sector.
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