Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
Kyochon founder quits
Kyochon F&B chairman Kwon Won-gang / Courtesy of Kyochon F&B
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Kyochon F&B chairman Kwon Won-gang resigned from his post, saying he will hand over the post to someone outside of his family for more transparent and professional management, Korea's largest chicken franchise said Wednesday.
In a ceremony held Wednesday at the food firm's headquarters in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, to commemorate Kyochon's 28th anniversary, Chairman Kwon said he will officially resign from all posts and transform the family-owned business into a public company.
“To envision the future and achieve innovation amid rapidly changing external factors, we need a new leader who can help navigate uncertainties,” Kwon said.
“We need a more transparent, specialized management system in order to keep moving forward.”
The announcement comes not long after the company came under fire for its abusive work culture.
In October, surveillance footage of the chairman's distant relatives assaulting staff members at a kitchen in one of the franchise stores went viral three years after the incident took place.
The relative stepped down from his post as a senior executive upon investigation a month after the footage was revealed.
The chairman issued a formal apology, but the power abuse incident continued to incite public outrage.
Some consumers even boycotted Kyochon, calling to eliminate gapjil, a Korean word for the abusive conduct of people exploiting their power in workplaces.
Kwon, who opened his first fried chicken restaurant in 1991 at the age of 40, has grown his business to a nation-wide brand, continuing to expand the franchise network globally.
Kyochon F&B President Hwang Hak-soo will be appointed as new CEO and chairman.