Otoki's late founder remembered 10 years after death
Employees of Otoki attend a memorial service marking the 10th anniversary of the death of the company's founder, Honorary Chairman Ham Tai-ho, at Ham Tai-ho Hall in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Courtesy of Otoki
K-food pioneer behind Jin Ramen, instant curry leaves lasting legacy
Otoki held a memorial ceremony on Friday at Ham Tai-ho Hall in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of its founder and honorary chairman, Ham Tai-ho.
The event honored Ham’s legacy as a pioneer of Korea’s food industry and reaffirmed his management philosophy of prioritizing product quality and improving people’s diets.
Born in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province in what is now part of North Korea in 1930, Ham volunteered for military service during the Korean War. After completing his service, he developed a vision of contributing to people’s lives through the food industry.
Late Otoki founder and Honorary Chairman Ham Tai-ho / Courtesy of Otoki
Ham gained management experience at a food ingredient manufacturer before founding Poonglim Trading, the predecessor to Otoki, in 1969. The company launched their first instant curry mix that same year, followed by other products including soups, ketchup, mayonnaise and vinegar. Poonglim Trading was renamed Otoki in 1973.
Otoki helped shape Korea’s evolving food culture through convenience foods, including its popular 3-Minute Sauce lineup.
Ham championed the principle of contributing to the nation through food, reflecting his belief that companies should serve the country. In line with this philosophy, Otoki established traditions such as flying the Korean national flag at its plants nationwide and singing all four verses of the national anthem at monthly company meetings and major events.
Ham was also known for his charitable work. In 1992, he began supporting children with congenital heart disease through the Korea Heart Foundation. In 1996, he laid the groundwork for the Otoki Ham Tai-ho Foundation, which provides scholarships and supports academic programs.
The company said its support for children with congenital heart disease began with five children a month and has reached 6,783 recipients as of last month.
This year, Otoki opened Ham Tai-ho Hall at its Anyang plant as a heritage space showcasing information on the founder’s life, management philosophy and the history of Otoki and Korea’s food culture.
“It is important to inherit and develop the founding spirit and management philosophy of Ham Tai-ho so that Otoki can remain sustainable regardless of who leads it,” Otoki Chairman Ham Young-jun said.
“The company would carry forward the meaning of ‘Poonglim’ (rich forest) and work to improve people’s diets.”