Chung Mong-won

Chung Mong-won
정몽원
Born	(1955-08-04) 4 August 1955 Seoul, South Korea
Education	BBA, MBA
Alma mater	Korea University, University of Southern California
Occupation	Businessman
Employer(s)	Halla Group, Mando Corporation
Known for	Korea Ice Hockey Association chairman, Asia League Ice Hockey co-founder, Anyang Halla team owner
Awards	IIHF Hall of Fame (2020)

Chung Mong-won (Korean: 정몽원, born 4 August 1955) is a South Korean ice hockey administrator and businessman. He has served as chief executive officer of both Halla Group and Mando Corporation, founded the Anyang Halla hockey team in 1994, and co-founded Asia League Ice Hockey in 2003. He became involved in international ice hockey as manager of the South Korea men's national ice hockey team in 2003, then became chairman of the Korea Ice Hockey Association in 2013, and implemented a development plan for the men's national team and the South Korea women's national ice hockey team in advance of ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics hosted in South Korea. Under his leadership, the men's national team earned promotion to the top tier at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, and the women's national team played in the 2018 Winter Olympics on a Unified Korea team with North Korea. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has named Chung to its 2020 IIHF Hall of Fame group of inductees.

Early life and education

Chung was born on 4 August 1955, in Seoul, South Korea. He is the second son of Chung In-young, who founded Halla Group.

Chung graduated from Seoul High School in 1974, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Korea University in 1979, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California in 1982.

Business career

Chung joined the Halla Group in 1978, employed in shipping. He later joined Hyundai Corporation as a manager, then became executive director of Mando Corporation Machinery in 1983. He became president and chief executive officer of Halla Climate Control in 1986, president of Mando Corporation Machinery in 1989, then president and chief executive officer of Halla in 1991. He served as vice-chairman of Halla Group starting in 1992, then became its chairman in 1997. Due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis, he disbanded the group in 1998. Halla Group was reformed in 2001, with Chung as its chairman and chief executive officer. In 2017, he purchased Mando and transformed it into a holding company, then became its chairman and chief executive officer.

Professional hockey team owner

Chung founded the first professional ice hockey team in South Korea in 1994, when he became involved after his employees asked to form a team. He financed the foundation of a professional hockey team in 1994 known as Mando Winia, which later became Halla Winia and then Anyang Halla. He was a co-founder of the Asia League Ice Hockey in 2003, which included teams from China, Japan, and the Russian Far East, in addition to Korea. As of 2020, Anyang Halla have won five Asia League Ice Hockey championships, won the most regular-season games, and regularly sends players to represent Korea in international competitions.

Chung was a franchise owner of Kiekko-Vantaa from 2012 to 2015, as a subsidiary of Halla Group.

Korean international ice hockey

Chung served as manager of the South Korea men's national ice hockey team for seven Ice Hockey World Championships between 2003 and 2016. He became vice-president of the Korea Ice Hockey Association in 2010, then was elected its president in 2013. The national team earned several promotions during his tenure, which included winning Division II three times in 2003, 2007, and 2009, then winning Division 1 in 2012 and again in 2015. In 2015, Chung signed an agreement with DHL for logistics support, which meant that players and team staff no longer had to transport equipment themselves. He served as manager of the South Korea under-18 men's national ice hockey team manager during competitions in 2017 and 2018.

After Pyeongchang County was named host of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Chung set out to improve South Korea's standing in the world ice rankings to ensure its participation in ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics. He hired Sarah Murray to coach the South Korea women's national ice hockey team, and brought in Jim Paek and Richard Park who both had playing experience in the National Hockey League to coach the men's national team. The men's team placed second in 2017 IIHF World Championship Division I to earn promotion to the top tier at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. The women's team played together on a Unified Korea team including athletes from North Korea and South Korea, a first for the two Koreas at the Olympic Games.

Chung has stated a desire for the Gangneung Hockey Centre to become the focus of ice hockey in Korea, and to leave an Olympic Games legacy. He said, "My dream is to turn Gangneung into a hockey town. I hope to see the day when people think of Gangneung, they'll think of hockey". In 2019, the Korea Ice Hockey Association voted to run its national development programs in Gangneung.

Awards and honours

On 18 April 2019, Chung was named as the honorary consul of the Republic of Slovenia to South Korea, based at the Sigma Tower in Jamsil, Seoul. He was named by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to the builder's category in the 2020 class of IIHF Hall of Fame inductees. The induction was scheduled the 2020 IIHF World Championship in Zürich, but was delayed until the 2022 IIHF World Championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chung was the first inductee from South Korea into the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Chung met his wife, Hong In-hwa on a blind date at a church, and the couple have two daughters. He is an elder of the Korean Methodist Church.

Family

Chung family tree

Han Seong-sil 한성실 ? Chung Bong-sik 정봉식 ?   Yung Byun Joong-seok 변중석 1921–2007 Chung Ju-yung 정주영 1915–2001 Kim Kyung-hee 김경희 1953– Park Byeong-im 박병임 1928–2015 Chung Soon-yung 정순영 1922–2005 Park Young-ja 박영자 1936– Chung Se-yung 정세영 1928–2005 Jo Eun-ju 조은주 1936– Chung Sang-yung 정상영 1936–2021 (영) Kim Wol-gye 김월계 1923–2003 Chung In-yung 정인영 1920–2006 Chung Hee-yung 정희영 1925–2015 Kim Young-joo 김영주 1920–2010 Jang Jeong-ja 장정자 1935– Chung Shin-yung 정신영 1931–62       Chung Mong-pil 정몽필 1934–82 Chung Chung-in (Grace) 정정인 1979– Chung Chung-im (Elizabeth) 정정임 1981– Chung Hyeong-suk 정형숙 1951–74 Chung Moon-sook 정문숙 1947– Kim Yun-su 김윤수 1946– Chung Sook-young 정숙영 1960– Chung Il-kyung 정일경 1960– Chung Mong-hyuk 정몽혁 1961–   Mong Chung Mong-koo 정몽구 1938– Chung Mong-woo 정몽우 1945–90 Chung Mong-yoon 정몽윤 1955– Chung Mong-guk 정몽국 1953– Chung Mong-sun 정몽선 1954– Kim Geun-su 김근수 1948– Chung Mong-jin 정몽진 1960– Chung Mong-yeol 정몽열 1964– (몽) Chung Mong-kun 정몽근 1942– Chung Mong-hun 정몽헌 1948–2003 Chung Mong-il 정몽일 1959– Chung Mong-won 정몽원 1955– Chung Mong-hoon 정몽훈 1959– Chung Chung-suk 정정숙 1962– Chung Mong-ik 정몽익 1962–     Chung Kyung-hee 정경희 1944– Chung Mong-joon 정몽준 1951– Chung Mong-seok 정몽석 1958– Chung Mong-yong 정몽용 1961– Chung Mong-gyu 정몽규 1962– Chung Yoo-kyung 정유경 1970–           Chung Ji-yi 정지이 1977– Chung Young-yi 정영이 1984– Chung Young-seon 정영선 1985– Chung Hyeon-seon 정현선 1989– Chung Mun-yi 정문이 1991–     Chung Il-seon 정일선 1970– Chung Moon-seon 정문선 1974– Chung Dae-seon 정대선 1977– Chung Chung-yi 정정이 1984– Chung Kyung-seon 정경선 1986– Seon (선) Chung Ji-seon 정지선 1972– Chung Gyo-seon 정교선 1974– Chung Kisun 정기선 1982– Chung Nam-yi 정남이 1983– Chung Seon-yi 정선이 1986– Chung Ye-seon 정예선 1996–     Chung Eun-hee 정은희 1971– Chung Yu-hee 정유희 1973– Chung Seong-yi 정성이 1962– Chung Myeong-yi 정명이 1964– Chung Yoon-yi 정윤이 1968– Chung Eui-seon 정의선 1970–       Seon A-yeong 선아영 1987– Seon Tong-uk 선동욱 1989– Sin U-jin 신우진 1993– Sin U-hyeon 신우현 2004– N/A   Chung Yu-mi 정유미 1988– Chung Yu-jin 정유진 1990– Chung Jun 정준 1997– Sin U-taek 신우택 1996– Chung Jin-hui 정진희 1996– Chung Chang-cheol 정장철 1998–   Notes In general: marriages indicated by dashed lines, female on the left. Sources 김봄내 (15 May 2015). "[재벌가족사]정주영 현대그룹 창업주" [Chaebol Family History: Chung Ju-yung, founder of Hyundai Group]. KJtimes (in Korean). 김태현 (23 March 2015). "[단독보도] 정주영 막내딸 미국서 엄마 없이 결혼" [Exclusive: Chung Ju-yung's youngest daughter gets married without her mother in the United States]. 일요신문 (in Korean). "Family Drama". Forbes. 26 April 2011.

Further reading

• Berkman, Seth (2019). A Team of Their Own: How an International Sisterhood Made Olympic History. Toronto, Ontario: Hanover Square Press. ISBN 978-1-335-00553-3.