Hanmi Pharmaceutical's Song Young-sook Promises to Resolve Management Turmoil

Song Young-sook, chairwoman of Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group, has apologized to employees regarding the management disputes that arose following the death of founder Lim Sung-ki, promising to resolve the turmoil swiftly.
 
On October 12, Song addressed the issue in a message posted on the company bulletin board to mark the anniversary of the company's founding. She expressed regret, stating, "I am sorry for showing an unworthy appearance while dealing with the significant inheritance tax issues after Chairman Lim's passing."
 
Despite the chaos, Song emphasized the company's achievements. She noted, "The innovative results produced by the Hanmi family during this tumultuous time have been remarkable," highlighting the approval of the obesity drug 'Epe' and improvements in performance. She added, "I will ensure that each executive can focus on their work without being swayed by external pressures."
 
Following the resolution of the management dispute, Hanmi Pharmaceutical has implemented a professional management system to stabilize operations. The company reported record-high consolidated revenues of 1.5475 trillion won and an operating profit of 257.8 billion won last year, marking increases of 3.5% in revenue and 19.2% in operating profit compared to the previous year.
 
Progress has also been made in the development of obesity treatments. Hanmi's independently developed obesity drug 'Epe' (ingredient name: epeglanatide) received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on October 7. It is the first GLP-1 class obesity drug developed in Korea, intended for chronic weight management in adults with obesity and overweight who do not have diabetes.
 
According to Hanmi, in a Phase 3 clinical trial involving 448 Korean patients with obesity, the group receiving Epe showed an average weight reduction of 9.75% after 40 weeks. The company is reportedly preparing for a domestic launch as early as the end of this month.
 
Finally, Song stated, "I will take the lead to avoid the folly of being trapped in the past and obstructing the company's future," urging employees to boldly challenge paths not previously taken.
 
Song's apology comes amid a legal dispute with Shin Dong-guk, chairman of Hanyang Precision, the largest shareholder of Hanmi Science. On October 1, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Song, Hanmi Science Vice Chairman Lim Joo-hyun, and Killington LLC against Shin, seeking approximately 60 billion won in damages for breach of contract.