Lee Yeon-woo is a financial journalist at The Korea Times. Her wide range of reporting includes policies, macroeconomics, stock market, companies and even crypto. She is passionate about connecting the dots in Korean finance and making it easier for foreign nationals to understand. Based on her previous experience as a national reporter, she also has a keen interest in social issues within the sector, including gender equality and ESG. Your tips and insights are always appreciated. You can send them to yanu@koreatimes.co.kr.
Toss Securities appoints new CEO as predecessor resigns 6 months before term ends
Newly appointed CEO of Toss Securities Kim Gyu-bin / Courtesy of Toss Securities
By Lee Yeon-woo
Toss Securities announced Thursday the appointment of a new CEO, Kim Gyu-bin, following the sudden resignation of former CEO Kim Seung-yeon, who stepped down with six months remaining in his term.
The new CEO, who previously served as the firm's head of product, officially assumed the role during a general shareholders meeting held on Thursday.
The company said the appointment was prompted by the predecessor's resignation for "personal reasons."
Kim Seung-yeon, appointed CEO in April last year, originally had a term set to end April 2, 2025. Under his leadership, Toss Securities became profitable and accelerated its growth trajectory.
Born in 1989, the newly appointed CEO Kim graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in electrical and computer engineering. He joined Toss Securities in 2022 as a product owner and has led product management since last year. His accomplishments include launching real-time fractional overseas stock trading and enhancing the investor community.
Like previous CEOs, the new CEO comes from a non-financial background. Yet, he has earned recognition for attracting a core base of customers in their 20s and 30s. This year, he has focused on strengthening the service foundation by launching foreign bonds and introducing the web trading system.
With his appointment, Toss Securities said it aims to further solidify its position as a leading investment platform and broaden its array of services.
The investment arm of the popular Korean financial app Toss, launched in March 2021, now boasts 6.3 million customers as of September 2024.