[Edaily KIM KI DUK Reporter Lee Soo-bin] SK Group announced a reshuffle of its executive leadership, retaining the CEOs of its core affiliates while promoting strategy and technology experts to key positions. Observers say this reflects the group’s commitment to maintaining continuity in its existing management structure while boosting the competitiveness of core businesses such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and power. In particular, SK Group has reorganized its leadership to align with the specific characteristics of each business—for example, establishing a president-level organization at SK Hynix to oversee its U.S. operations and assigning power and finance experts to SK Innovation.

On the 30th, SK Group carried out its 2027 executive reshuffle, which included these changes. In this reshuffle, three executives—Kim Seon-hyeok, President in charge of SK Inc.; Kwon Young-soo, President in charge of the SK SUPEX Pursuit Council; and Song Kyung-yeol, President of SK Gas—were promoted to the rank of President. Five executives, including Jeong Seung-il, Chief Executive Officer of SK Innovation, and Kang Dong-soo, President of SK Innovation, assumed new positions.

SK Hynix, a key growth engine for the group, retained CEO Kwak No-jeong, maintaining its single-CEO structure. Instead, the company established a new president-level organization in the U.S. to oversee the Americas and appointed Ahn Hyun, President of Development, to lead it. This move is seen as a step to strengthen collaboration with global big tech clients and enhance technology and research and development (R&D) capabilities in the U.S. market. Following President Ahn’s reassignment, Cha Seon-yong, Head of the Future Technology Research Institute, will take over as Head of Development while continuing to serve as Head of the Research Institute. The plan is to boost competitiveness in next-generation memory by strengthening the link between advanced technology research and product development.

Yoon Pung-young, President in charge of the SK SUPEX Pursuit Council, will move to head the SK Hynix Corporate Center. Drawing on his experience in formulating group-wide strategies, he plans to focus on global business expansion and identifying new growth engines.

SK Inc., the holding company, has also reinforced its strategic functions while maintaining management continuity. CEO Jang Yong-ho has been reappointed, and Kim Seon-hyeok, Head of the Strategy Division at SKC, has been appointed as the new Executive President. CEO Jang will oversee key management issues such as portfolio management and financial strategy, while Executive President Kim will support the implementation of operational improvements across affiliates.

President Kim is a leading portfolio expert within the group, having served as head of the Business Model (BM) Innovation Group and head of the Portfolio Management (PM) Division at SKC. Based on the results of the business portfolio rebalancing efforts pursued over the past three years, SK Inc. plans to solidify a growth strategy centered on core businesses such as AI, semiconductors, and energy solutions.

Experts in strategy and finance have been deployed across the energy affiliates. SK Innovation appointed Jeong Seung-il, President in charge of Future Growth at SK Inc., as its new Chief Executive Officer, and Kang Dong-soo, President in charge of Future Growth at SK Inc., as President of both SK Innovation and SK Energy.

Newly appointed Chief Executive Jeong is an expert in the energy and power sectors who previously served as Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, as well as President of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS). He will oversee SK Innovation’s strategy for transitioning into the power business and lead the company’s future growth strategy as a comprehensive energy firm.

Kang, the newly appointed President, has held positions including Head of Strategy and Finance and Head of Portfolio at SK Innovation, and was previously responsible for group-wide investment decision-making and portfolio optimization at SK Inc. Going forward, he will focus on improving the profitability of existing businesses and enhancing operational efficiency.

The management teams of SK Innovation’s subsidiaries have also been reorganized. Kim Won-ki, President of SK Enmove’s Corporate Independent Company (CIC), was appointed to concurrently serve as President of SK GeoCentric. Kim Kyung-jun, Head of the Planning and Business Support Office, was selected as President of SK Earthon, while Kim Tae-jin, Head of the Crude Oil Business Division, was appointed President of SK On Trading International CIC.

SK Gas has appointed Song Kyung-yeol, Head of the Strategy Division, as its new President. President Song has been responsible for group-wide energy and power business strategies, new business development, and portfolio strategies. The current President of SK Gas, Yoon Byung-seok, will move to SK Discovery as its President. SK Gas plans to expand its LNG value chain and accelerate the discovery of new growth engines, leveraging the competitiveness of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) businesses.

At the SK SUPEX Council, the group’s highest decision-making body, President Kwon Young-soo was promoted to Executive President. This appointment is seen as a move to strengthen group-wide strategic functions and the cooperation framework among affiliates.

A common thread in these appointments is that they maintain continuity among the existing management while assigning new roles to strategy and technology experts. While Kwak No-jeong, CEO of SK Hynix, and Jang Yong-ho, CEO of SK Inc., were retained in their positions, President Ahn Hyun was tasked with managing relations with U.S. customers, and Executive President Jeong Seung-il was assigned to oversee the transition of the power business.

SK Group’s executive appointments this year, like last year, took place about a month earlier than the usual timing. At the CEO seminar scheduled for the 12th of next month, the new leadership is expected to finalize next year’s business strategy early and discuss strategic initiatives.

An SK official stated, “With this reshuffle, we will solidify the results of the business portfolio rebalancing we have been pursuing and enhance our execution capabilities for future growth businesses.”