Kwon Ki-beom, chair of Dongkook Pharmaceutical, has been appointed the next chair of the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA). The association said it held the first chairs' meeting for 2026 on the 20th and appointed Kwon to a two-year term as the 17th chair.
Born in 1967, Kwon graduated from Yonsei University's department of social welfare in 1989 and completed an MBA program at New York University (NYU) in 2012. As the eldest son of the late founder Kwon Dong-il, he joined as head of planning in 1994 and served as CEO of Dongkook Pharmaceutical starting in 2002.
After serving as vice chair in 2005, Kwon became chair in 2022 and is credited with leading the company's growth through research and development, new products, and stronger exports. From Mar. 2020 to Feb. 2022, he served as the association's vice chair and chair of the biopharmaceuticals committee, and he has served as vice chair of the association from Jun. 2025 to the present.
Immediately after being chosen, the chair-designate Kwon said, "I will do my utmost to faithfully carry out my role as chair to foster, develop, and protect our pharmaceutical and bio industry."
According to Article 12, Paragraph 1 of the association's articles of incorporation, "The chair appoints the next chair at the chairs' meeting and reports to the board and the general meeting." The official handover ceremony between current chair Yun Ung-seop and chair-designate Kwon Ki-beom will take place at 3 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the 81st regular general meeting of the association.