À̹ÌÁö È®´ë Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank
Masayoshi Son, founder and chief executive of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group, paid his respect to the late LG Chairman Koo Bon-moo, who died Sunday, by sending a letter of condolences through Maeil Business Newspaper.
Son, a Japanese businessman of Korean descent, had forged a cross-border friendship with Koo, his senior by 12 years. Koo passed away at 73 after a year-long battle with brain disease.
Koo, who took the helm in 1995, is credited for transforming Korea¡¯s fourth-largest conglomerate into a global tech powerhouse.
Son runs the Japanese tech behemoth SoftBank whose businesses range from telecommunications and e-commerce to technology and finance. The group operates SoftBank Ventures and SoftBank Commerce in Korea.
À̹ÌÁö È®´ë Late LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo
The full letter is published below:
I am deeply saddened by the loss of Korea`s business pillar.
Having known Chairman Koo for over 20 years, my history of relationship with him has not been short. My heart breaks not only because he was a faithful business partner, but also because he was like an elder brother of mine. I will have an everlasting memory of Chairman Koo as a very amicable and exceptionally humorous gentleman.
As a person, his humble consideration for those around him and down-to-earth attitude have always moved me. Regardless of the settings, I have always enjoyed meeting him. In business, I have been greatly impressed by his focus and care for technologies and talents. Both SoftBank Group and I have learned and been helped in many respects from LG under his leadership.
His various accomplishments, especially on innovative sectors such as electronics, were priceless lessons. I regard him as my teacher in such aspects and his teachings have helped me to broaden my vision. It is a shame to find out the news of his passing from a distance before I can relay my respect and thanks to Chairman Koo. Having learned that it would be a family funeral, instead of paying my visit, I offer my sincere condolences across the sea to Chairman Koo`s family and the employees of LG Group.
By Hwang Hyung-gyu and Kim Hyo-jin
[¨Ï Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]