Munitions maker Poongsan CEO joins CSIS board

Poongsan Group Chairman Ryu Jin / Courtesy of Poongsan Group

By Park Jae-hyuk

Poongsan Group Chairman and CEO Ryu Jin, also known as Jin Roy Ryu, has recently joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Board of Trustees, according to the manufacturer of copper products and munitions, Monday.

Founded in 1962, CSIS is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world's greatest challenges. The Washington D.C.-headquartered institution is recognized as one of the most prestigious foreign policy think tanks.

“I am delighted to welcome Roy to our Board of Trustees,” CSIS president and CEO John J. Hamre said in a press release. “CSIS will benefit tremendously from his global vision and innovative spirit.”

Ryu has frequently participated in national security and diplomatic forums overseas to maintain close ties with CSIS. He has also built strong relations with former U.S. Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates and Leon Panetta.

In April 2014, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the company-owned Poongsan High School and delivered a special lecture at Ryu's invitation.

According to industry officials, the Poongsan chairman has been able to develop and maintain relations with U.S. politicians on the back of the company's munitions exports. He is therefore expected to be a valuable asset for the Korean government and local businesses as a bridge to the forthcoming Biden administration.

Succeeding his father and Poongsan founder, the late Ryu Chan-u, Ryu has led the company since 1999 and has been involved in the leadership of numerous business lobby groups, such as the vice chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries and the Korea International Trade Association.

He also supports a number of philanthropic and educational organizations.

Ryu is the board chairman of the Pearl S. Buck Foundation in Korea; the vice chairman of the Korea Mecenat Association; a trustee of the George & Barbara Bush Foundation; a member of the Board of Visitors at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York; and a member of the Board of Governors of the PGA Tour's First Tee program.

In 2015, he played an instrumental role in bringing the Presidents Cup golf tournament to Korea for the first time and chaired the tournament's organizing committee.

For his distinguished service and steadfast efforts to enhance Korea's standing within the global community, the government awarded Ryu the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in 2005 and the Order of Civil Merit, Moran (Peony) Medal, in 2012.