YOUNG BUSINESS LEADERS NETWORK

A worldwide network of young Korean business leaders, built on trust

Born at the World Korean Business Convention in 2008 — today 181 members in 34 countries.

34countries

181members

16City Forums

2008founded

📕 Brochure (PDF) (English)📕 Brochure (PDF) (한국어)🤝 How to join

VISION · Vision

Young Korean business leaders build, on trust, a network community that spans every country in the world.

MISSION

Through exchange full of fellowship, outstanding entrepreneurs keep learning and growing — and contribute to society.

The YBLN member

🇰🇷 Proud to be Korean💼 A sound business🌏 A global entrepreneurial mind🤝 Respected in their country

Follows YBLN’s purpose, core values and principles — and is respected as an entrepreneur in their own country.

📜 History

Next-generation Korean business people who met at the Young Business Leaders Forum (YBLF) of the World Korean Business Convention — held in Korea every autumn — founded YBLN in 2008 to build a closer, more active network.

2008 · YBLN founded

YBLN was born at the 7th World Korean Business Convention in Jeju in October 2008, electing Younggwan Lee (Brazil) as first President.

👆 Tap a year

👑 Presidents

1Younggwan Lee

Brazil2008–09

2Hyosoo Kim

United States2010–11

3Haejung Ko

Japan2012–13

4Wonkyu Park

Colombia2014–15

5Bundo Choi

Vietnam2016

6Scott Hansin Kim

United States2017–18

7Joohan Lee

Indonesia2019–20

8Sangmin Choi

Dominican Republic2021–23

9Pengtao Li

China2024–25

10 · CurrentByung Il An

Japan2026–27

🌏 Members

181 members in 34 countries are connected through YBLN. Tap a region.

🏭 Business

More than 15 sectors and 180 companies — tap a sector to see what our members make and trade.

181Member companies

15+Sectors

59%Manufacturing · Trading

📍 Forums

Every May–June we hold a YBLN City Forum in a member’s country, and every autumn the annual forum at the World Korean Business Convention in Korea. Tap a dot or the list.

★

World Korean Business Convention (Korea) · Young Business Leaders ForumEvery year since October 2002 · also LA (2023.10) and Atlanta (2025.04)

🤝 CIS Activation Project

To embrace the Koryo-saram, whom it had been hard to connect with, a YBLN delegation of about ten visited Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Tashkent (Uzbekistan) in 2014 — to meet brothers and sisters who had attended the forum but never joined the network.

2014 · CIS Activation Forum📅 2014.7.23–26 · 📍 Almaty, Kazakhstan · Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Network night (with Ambassador Ju Hyun Back) · introducing YBLN to young Koryo-saram · visit to the Association of Kazakhstan Koreans (President Roman Kim) · Kim Byung-hwa Museum

2015 · Russia Activation Forum📅 2015.7.12–17 · 📍 Saint Petersburg · Moscow, Russia

2016 · Russia Activation Forum📅 2016.8.4–9 · 📍 Vladivostok, Russia

2022 · Kyrgyzstan OKBK Forum📅 2022.9.8–11 · 📍 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

💝 Giving back

🏫 Hansang Dreaming Class

We set up classrooms for dreams in schools where Korean diaspora children study.

No. 1 · Saenal School for Koryo-saram, Gwangju📅 2015.4.16

No. 2 · Korean International School, Ho Chi Minh City📅 2015.11.27

No. 3 · Korean International School, Bangkok📅 2016.2.26

🎓 YBLN Mentoring & Scholarships

We support students facing financial hardship with scholarships — and YBLN members become their mentors, helping them reach their dreams.

🇰🇷 Students in Korea

University students in Korea · KRW 4 million a year (renewed yearly) · two mentors (one in Korea, one abroad) · ceremony after the annual assembly

🌏 Overseas students (with OK Bae & Jung Scholarship Foundation)

Children of overseas Koreans at university · one semester’s or year’s tuition · a YBLN member in their country recommends and mentors them · ceremony at the October forum