This article was posted on the ChosunBiz MoneyMove (MM) site at 6:08 p.m. on Dec. 19, 2025.
KY Private Equity (PE), a subsidiary of Brain Asset Management, has hired Kim Tae-hoon, head of corporate sales for Jongno at Woori Bank, as its new CEO. Kim will lead KY PE alongside current CEO Jang Seong-eun beginning early next year.
According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 22nd, Kim is expected to be appointed CEO of KY PE effective Jan. 2 next year. After joining as a senior partner, he is widely expected to form a co-CEO structure with CEO Jang. Currently, CEO Jang is the only senior partner at KY PE.
Kim is a veteran in Korea's acquisition financing industry. Born in 1971, he joined Hanil Bank (the predecessor of Woori Bank) in 1996 and worked at Woori Bank for 30 years. Since 2004 he worked in the bank's IB business unit; in 2013 he served as head of the M&A team in the investment banking division, in 2017 as head of the investment banking division, in 2021 as deputy minister of the investment banking division, in 2022 as head of business support at Woori Financial Group, and in 2025 he served as head of Jongno corporate sales.
While at Woori Bank, Kim led acquisition financing for numerous M&A deals. He arranged acquisition financing for MBK Partners' purchase of Doosan Infracore's machine tool business division (660 billion won), a 1 trillion won refinancing for ING Life Insurance, 340 billion won in acquisition financing for Rapaz Hanla Cement, and acquisition financing for Affinity Equity Partners' purchase of Burger King Korea. Kim also led Woori Bank's acquisition of equity in Lotte Card, among other deals.
With Kim's addition, KY PE is expected to be more aggressive and proactive in fundraising and making new investments. KY PE is an asset manager launched in July 2023 by partitioning Brain Asset Management's institutional-only private equity fund (PEF) management division. Its assets under management (AUM) are just under 800 billion won. Next year it aims to increase AUM to around 2 trillion won.
KY PE's strength lies in pre-IPO deals of large corporate affiliates and deal sourcing and networks centered on growth mezzanine (including downside-protection structures). Its major investment portfolio includes SK pharmteco (preferred stock investment), SK ecoplant, Dunamu, HD Hyundai Robotics, and LS Marine Solution.
An IB industry official said, "KY PE has been criticized for lacking partner-level personnel despite its rapid growth," adding, "Starting with the hiring of the new CEO, it will increase partner-level staff."