Woman breaks the "glass ceiling" of technology in South Korea.

In the often prejudiced Asian workplace environment, the rise of Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver, South Korea's largest technology company, has opened an inspiring new milestone in gender equality.

Korean corporate culture is notorious for its emphasis on seniority and the unspoken prejudices against women in technology. Therefore, the fact that a woman from the 1980s generation was entrusted with the top leadership position at Naver became a powerful symbol of genuine gender equality. She convincingly demonstrated that intellectual capacity and strategic thinking know no gender boundaries, and that women can steer leading technology corporations with a style that is both flexible, empathetic, and adaptable.

Establishing a strong position through understanding and tangible results.

In 2022, Naver shocked Asian media when it officially appointed Choi Soo-yeon as CEO at the young age of 39. In an economy where the CEO positions of large corporations are mostly held by men in their 50s or 60s, this decision by Naver's board of directors faced considerable skepticism from the market.

However, the question "Why was such a young woman able to take on this position?" was quickly answered satisfactorily thanks to her outstanding track record.

Ms. Choi Soo-yeon possesses an exceptionally rare interdisciplinary mindset. Starting with a bachelor's degree in engineering from the prestigious Seoul National University, she went on to earn a master's degree in law from Harvard University. Before becoming CEO, she dedicated many years to Naver, leading the global support department, directly guiding M&A deals and international market expansion strategies. This perfect combination of deep technical expertise, sharp legal thinking, and extensive experience in global markets makes her the ideal choice to lead Naver out of its confines as a "domestic portal" and onto the world stage .

Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon (right) and Founder Lee Hae-jin (left) during a strategic meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, affirming the South Korean tech giant's decisive move to build a global AI infrastructure ecosystem. Photo: CEONEWS

Under the leadership of CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Naver's consolidated revenue has grown remarkably, surpassing 10 trillion won (approximately 185 trillion VND) for the first time in 2024. To achieve this historic milestone for the Korean internet industry, Ms. Choi has consistently pursued a core strategy of applying artificial intelligence (AI) to its core services. When the market expressed concerns about the acquisition of the North American e-commerce platform Poshmark, she frankly shared her compelling vision: "The future of e-commerce lies in the intersection of peer-to-peer (C2C) transactions and artificial intelligence (AI)."

That strategic vision bore fruit when Poshmark quickly became profitable in early 2024, becoming a springboard for Naver's technology to expand globally. This result not only strengthened the company's position but also affirmed the capabilities of a woman who mastered technology, knowing how to transform plans on paper into tangible value for the community.

A warm heart reforms workplace culture for women.

The business acumen of a Harvard-educated lawyer doesn't detract from her empathy in human resource management. For Choi Soo-yeon, gender equality isn't a dry slogan or an administrative target to be met, but rather the most practical acts of care for each employee.

She advocated for simplifying the outdated hierarchical system, creating opportunities for young professionals, especially female programmers and technology engineers, to have a voice and advance based on merit rather than seniority. Understanding the heavy burden women face when balancing family and work responsibilities, Ms. Choi pioneered a flexible and connected work model, enhanced maternity benefits, and provided childcare facilities right in the workplace.

With her flexible and empathetic leadership style, Choi Soo-yeon has become a beacon for the modern generation of women, confidently rising to the top to lead large economic conglomerates. (Photo: CEONEWS)

When discussing human resource issues at labor forums, Choi Soo-yeon once expressed a deeply humane philosophy about genuine gender equality: "Gender equality in the workplace is not simply about increasing the percentage of women in personnel reports, but about creating a safe ecosystem where women do not have to choose between being a mother and being a boss."

This mindset has helped Naver retain outstanding female talents, allowing them to dedicate themselves to their work without sacrificing their roles as mothers or their career advancement opportunities.

A unique path to protect technological sovereignty and cultural identity.

Amidst the fierce competition among global tech giants in the field of artificial intelligence, Choi Soo-yeon chose a very unique path for Naver. Instead of copying or relying on foreign technology, she focused all her efforts on an "AI Sovereignty" model with HyperCLOVA X at its core, an AI system specifically optimized for the Korean language and cultural context.

She consistently maintained the view that each nation needs an artificial intelligence model that accurately reflects its language, mindset, and cultural values. This sustainable vision has helped Naver expand its influence into new international markets, notably through contracts worth $100 million (approximately 2.5 trillion VND) for digital infrastructure development and the development of Arabic-based AI in the Middle East. The woman at the helm of Naver has proven that preserving cultural identity and protecting data sovereignty can be a successful global business strategy.

With plans to invest over 1 trillion Won (approximately 18.5 trillion VND) in GPU and AI infrastructure by 2026, Choi Soo-yeon is gradually transforming Naver into a comprehensive technology company. Her combination of modern, flexible management style and sharp legal acumen has enabled her to run this massive organization with greater agility and efficiency.

Source: ceomagazine

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/choi-soo-yeon-nguoi-phu-nu-pha-vo-tran-kinh-cong-nghe-tai-han-quoc-238260522170716983.htm