[Edaily Reporter Kim Ji-woo ] Ottogi(007310)marked the 10th anniversary of the passing of its founder, the late Honorary Chairman Ham Tae-ho, by reflecting on its management philosophies of “quality first” and “sharing.” OTOKI Chairman Ham Young-jun expressed his commitment to carrying on the founding spirit and developing the company into a sustainable enterprise.

OTOKI announced on the 14th that it held a memorial service on the 11th at Ham Tae-ho Hall in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, to mark the 10th anniversary of the passing of its founder, the late Honorary Chairman Ham Tae-ho.

This memorial service was organized to reflect on Honorary Chairman Ham’s life and legacy and to reaffirm the founder’s management philosophy, which emphasized quality first, improving dietary standards, and giving back to the community.

Born in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province, in 1930, Honorary Chairman Ham gained management experience at a food ingredients manufacturer before founding Punglim Trading Company—the predecessor of OTOKI—in 1969. Following the launch of “OTOKI Curry” that same year, the company introduced soups, ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar, and other products. He subsequently expanded the business into ready-to-eat foods, such as “OTOKI 3-Minute Curry.”

Honorary Chairman Ham emphasized quality as the top priority in management, stating, “We must produce our products with the mindset that they are food for our own families.” He also adopted “Food for the Nation” (食品輔國)—the idea of contributing to national development by improving food quality—as a key management philosophy.

He also devoted himself to social contribution activities. In 1992, he began supporting children with congenital heart disease through the Korea Heart Foundation, and in 1996, he laid the groundwork for the OTOKI Ham Tae-ho Foundation to promote scholarship programs and academic support. The support program for children with heart disease, which began by helping five children each month, had provided assistance to a cumulative total of 6,783 children as of August this year.

This year, OTOKI opened the “Ham Tae-ho Hall” at its Anyang plant—a space dedicated to the life and management philosophy of Honorary Chairman Ham, as well as the history of the company and Korean food culture. The company plans to continue enhancing product taste and quality while pursuing social contribution activities based on the founder’s management philosophy.

Ham Young-jun, Chairman of OTOKI, stated, “It is a crucial task to inherit and develop the founding spirit and management philosophy of our founder, Ham Tae-ho, so that OTOKI remains a sustainable company regardless of who leads it.” He added, “We will carry on the meaning of ‘Pungrim’ (豊林)—the vision our founder dreamed of—to contribute to the improvement of people’s diets, and we will strive even harder to move forward without resting on our past achievements.”