[Sportschosun Jo Min-jung] Ham Yon-ji, who was familiar to the public as a musical actress and YouTuber, is continuing her business career in the United States alongside her husband. Having effectively stepped away from entertainment activities, Ham is learning the ropes at Ottogi's U.S. subsidiary, while her husband, Kim Jae-woo, has taken the helm of the holding company that oversees the company's U.S. business. The couple is now entering the family business one after the other.
According to industry sources on the 18th, Ham Yon-ji is currently working in the marketing team at Ottogi America, Ottogi's U.S. subsidiary, where she is gaining hands-on experience in local marketing and business operations. In effect, she has left the stage and camera behind and is receiving management training as an Ottogi employee.
Her husband, Kim Jae-woo, has gone a step further. He is reportedly serving as CEO of OTOKI AMERICA HOLDINGS INC., the holding company that oversees the U.S. business. As Ham Yon-ji learns marketing operations on the ground in the United States and her husband oversees the broader business there, the couple has become directly involved in Ottogi's U.S. operations.
Their moves are drawing attention to whether they may eventually be linked to the succession of Ottogi's family business. Ottogi has placed Chairman Ham Young-joon's son, Ham Yun-sik, at the domestic headquarters and his daughter, Ham Yon-ji, at the U.S. subsidiary so they can each gain practical experience.
However, Ham Yon-ji is not currently an executive or registered director. Some observers say this is less a finalized succession structure than a stage in which she is building and being tested on her management capabilities in the field.
Ham Yon-ji is the granddaughter of Ottogi founder the late Ham Tae-ho and the eldest daughter of Chairman Ham Young-joon. After graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she worked as a musical actress and appeared in productions including "Gone with the Wind," "Amadeus," "Notre-Dame de Paris," and "Chami."
She was also active as a YouTuber. Through her personal channel, "YONJIHAM," she shared glimpses of the Ottogi family’s daily life and her married life with her husband, attracting hundreds of thousands of subscribers. But after announcing in December 2023 that she would stop operating the channel, she gradually began distancing herself from entertainment and broadcast activities. At the time, Ham Yon-ji also said she was thinking about how to introduce Korean food in the United States. After relocating her life to the U.S. and becoming directly involved in Ottogi's local business, those remarks are drawing renewed attention.
Interest is growing in how the couple's successive management moves will be connected to the third-generation succession of Ottogi's family business.
Jo Min-jung mj.cho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
