The Korea Convenience Store Industry Association said on the 17th that after holding its 2026 regular general meeting on the 16th, it appointed Kim Hong-cheol (photo), head of Korea Seven (7-Eleven), as its 17th chair.
After joining Lotte Group in 1995, the new chair Kim served as head of the management improvement team at Lotte Corporation and head of the HR innovation division at the Lotte retail group HQ, and is currently the head of Korea Seven.
In an inaugural address, Kim said, "The convenience store industry, which has grown into a core pillar of the domestic retail industry, faces a difficult business environment, including rising operating costs due to high inflation and a surge in oil prices," and added, "During my term, I will further solidify win-win cooperation with franchisees and spare no policy proposals to build a fair ecosystem for the convenience store industry."
Kim added, "Keeping pace with the rapidly changing digital environment, we will support technological innovation such as introducing Android-based cloud POS and do our best to expand the convenience store's public role and functions so it can serve as a community safety net and a life-embedded platform."
Meanwhile, the Korea Convenience Store Industry Association is an organization established in 1993 with the participation of domestic convenience store franchise headquarters. Currently, 7-Eleven, CU, GS25, E-MART24, and C·SPACE24 are participating as member companies.