Jungwoo Group

[Female Business Division] Lee Bok-hwa, CEO of Jungwoo Vina Co., Ltd
[Dyeing Division] Park Young-tae, CEO of Yeongdong Textile Co., Ltd
[Academic Division] Choo Ho-jung, a professor of clothing at Seoul National University, Textile Fashion Policy Research Institute holds an award ceremony at the Textile Center on Dec. 22, saying, "It's never a declining industry. When technology and policy are combined, the textile fashion industry has made a leap forward."


▲ From the left of the winners of the 2025 Grand Prize for Korea's Proud Textile Fashion, Lee Bok-hwa, CEO of Jung Woo-bina, Park Young-tae, CEO of Yeongdong Textile, and Choo Ho-jung, professor of clothing at Seoul National University © TIN News

The "2025 Korea Textile Fashion Artist Award" was held at the Tex+Fa campus lounge on the second floor of the Textile Center in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at 2 p.m. on Monday, December 22 to develop the domestic textile fashion industry and promote the morale of textile fashion people.

The "Proud Korean Textile Fashion Artist Grand Prize" has been hosted by the Textile Fashion Policy Institute (hereinafter "Seom Jeong-yeon," Chairman Chung Kyung-yeon) since 2011 to honor the efforts and contributions of those who have made to the development of the domestic textile fashion industry.

Previous winners include Noh Hee-chan, chairman of Samil Textile Group, and Choi Byung-oh, chairman of fashion group Hyungji, as well as ▲ Oh Byung-chul, chairman of Jungwoo Textile Co., Ltd. and Jungwoo Vina Co., Ltd. ▲ Choi Jae-rak, chairman of Sewang Textile Co., Ltd., ▲ Bang Joo-deuk, chairman of Deoksan Enterprise Co., Ltd., ▲ Park Jong-geun, chairman of the Scholarship Foundation, Han Young (founder of Han Young-nayum) ▲ Koo Jae-nam, chairman of Woosung Saltjik Co., Ltd., ▲ Park Yong-kwan, chairman of Sungan Co., Ltd., ▲ Lee Dong-soo, chairman of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Textile Industry Association, ▲ Won Dae-yeon, chairman of the Korea Fashion Association, ▲ Seo Soon-hee, chairman of Dunfield Group.

This year, Lee Bok-hwa, CEO of the ▲ Women's Business Division, Park Young-tae, CEO of Yeongdong Textile, and Choo Ho-jung, professor of clothing at Seoul National University, won the grand prize.

Jung Woo-Bina Lee Bok-hwa, CEO of a domestic fabric wheat and export company, started as a regular employee and has been walking the path of textile for 30 years, saying, "I want to let you know that textile is an attractive and challenging industry for young people who avoid difficult tasks." He is also a female professional manager who has excellent management skills with the absolute trust of the founder, Chairman Oh Byung-chul.

CEO Park Young-tae of Yeongdong Textile Co., Ltd., a company specializing in textile dyeing (knits such as Tencel, Rayon, Cupra, etc.), is leading the quality control, dyeing and post-processing sector through continuous facility investment and automation, and is currently the chairman of the Banwol Fashion Color Business Cooperative, dedicated to promoting profits for companies in the dyeing industry.

Professor Choo Ho-jung of the Department of Clothing at Seoul National University, who has been a professor for more than 20 years, has contributed to the development of the fashion distribution industry with excellent research results in training 60 master's and doctoral degrees, publishing a total of 120 research papers at home and abroad, and research on fashion, marketing, and distribution.

In particular, CEO Lee Bok-hwa said in his acceptance speech, "The Korean textile industry has sufficient power and experience to create luxury goods trusted by the world beyond simple production. This fact alone is a root industry that should be fully respected, and the textile fashion industry is centered on creativity and emotion, but at the same time, I think policy is a very important time," and emphasized, "I am confident that the textile industry is not a declining industry, but an industry that can leap forward once again when technology and sustainability are combined."


▲ 2025 Grand Prize Ceremony for Korea's Proud Textile Fashion Artist © TIN News

Chung Kyung-yeon, chairman of the board of directors of the island government, who is hosting the award ceremony, said, "Under unfavorable conditions at home and abroad, including global trade uncertainty and sluggish domestic demand, CEO Lee Bok-hwa has demonstrated excellent quality and material R&D capabilities, enhancing his status as a Korean textile exporter, while CEO Park Young-tae is leading the dyeing processing industry, including quality control and compliance with delivery date through continuous facility investment and research and development. Finally, Professor Choo Ho-jung has been a professor of clothing at Seoul National University for more than 20 years, and has contributed to the fashion distribution industry with research results through training of high-quality human resources in the field of excellent fashion and various research activities," adding, "I am very happy to be selected as the winner."

Meanwhile, Kang Tae-jin, former dean of Seoul National University's School of Technology, was a speaker at the awards ceremony and gave a special lecture on the topic of "AI-era high-tech war and textile fashion industry." Former dean Kang pointed out the changes and challenges facing the textile fashion industry amid global high-tech competition centered on artificial intelligence, and predicted the impact of AI, data and high-tech materials technologies on industrial structure and business models. He also discussed strategies and policy tasks for securing sustainable competitiveness for the domestic textile fashion industry in an environment where competition for technology leadership is intensifying. 

Reporter Kim Sung-joon tinnews@tinnews.co.kr