Mirae Asset Securities chief named 'Person of 2021'

Mirae Asset Securities Chairman Choi Hyun-man / Courtesy of Mirae Asset Securities

By Lee Min-hyung

Mirae Asset Securities Chairman Choi Hyun-man has been selected as the person of the Korean capital market in 2021, the Korea Exchange said.

Choi was awarded for his contributions in helping develop Korea's capital market. Mirae Asset Securities played an influential role in the local initial public offering (IPO) market throughout 2021, when the company served as underwriter in the listing of a total of 21 firms including gaming giant Krafton.

“He contributed a lot to expanding the investor base in the Korean capital market as a leader of the nation's largest IPO underwriter,” a spokesman at the Korea Exchange said.

The exchange picked Choi as the winner of the award after receiving votes from affiliated organizations, journalists and staff of the exchange operator.

“Choi is expected to play a bigger part in the capital market down the road after having been promoted to the firm's chairman in December 2021,” the official said.

Mirae Asset Securities is Korea's top brokerage house in terms of earnings, after clinching a record operating profit of 1 trillion won ($838 million) in 2020, for the first time among local securities firms.

Choi has decades of experience in the capital market after having joined Mirae Asset Group as a founding member, along with former Chairman Park Hyeon-joo.

Mirae Asset decided to promote Choi to the chairman position during a year-end reshuffle of top management, due to his leadership in driving its record earnings performance and solid growth.