【Seoul — BCC Global Media】
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) awarded a Presidential Citation to HyungJu Kim, Executive Director of Business Development and Marketing at Air Products Korea, during the country’s Foreign Company Day 2025 ceremony held on November 13 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Samseong-dong, according to reports from Yonhap News Agency and major domestic media outlets.
Marking its 25th anniversary this year, the event brought together an estimated 160–200 attendees, including Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan, representatives from the Foreign Company Association (FORCA), leaders of foreign chambers of commerce in Korea, and members of the diplomatic corps. The government recognized more than 40 individuals for their contributions to foreign direct investment (FDI) and to the development of Korea’s high-tech industrial ecosystem. Five recipients, including Air Products Korea’s Kim, received the prestigious Presidential Citation.
According to government statements cited by Yonhap, Kim was recognized for expanding critical industrial gas infrastructure across semiconductor, display, and battery manufacturing—sectors that rely heavily on high-purity gas supply—and for driving significant reinvestment from foreign companies. MOTIE noted that Kim contributed “to strengthening the global competitiveness of Korea’s advanced industries by establishing essential high-purity industrial gas production and supply systems required for semiconductor manufacturing.”
Local business media, including the Dong-A Ilbo, reported that since joining Air Products Korea in 2021, Kim has overseen marketing, communications, and business development, leading multiple reinvestment initiatives over the past four years. His leadership has been particularly noted in responding to surging demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a key component in AI semiconductors, by advancing the build-out of ultra-high-purity industrial gas supply chains and production facilities essential for major chip fabrication lines.
Air Products Korea has also accelerated expansion of industrial gas infrastructure supporting electric vehicle and energy storage system (ESS) battery production. The company said Kim has served as “a strategic bridge between the Korean industrial landscape and the company’s global headquarters,” driving the attraction of high-value production facilities and leading large-scale capacity expansion projects.
In comments reported by domestic media, Kim said the award “represents the collective achievement of Air Products Korea employees and our global teams,” adding that he intends to “continue contributing to the competitiveness of Korea’s strategic industries, including semiconductors, displays, and batteries.” He also emphasized plans to strengthen practical support for Korean companies as they build and expand overseas manufacturing sites, including gas supply packages, cost optimization strategies, and supply-chain reliability.
Biography of HyungJu Kim (Education Included)
HyungJu Kim—also known by his English name, Tyler HyungJu Kim—is a global business leader with nearly two decades of experience in industrial gases and advanced materials. As Executive Director of Business Development and Marketing at Air Products Korea, he oversees initiatives that reinforce high-purity industrial gas supply chains and foreign investment projects crucial to Korea’s semiconductor, display, and battery sectors.
Kim has played a central role in expanding gas production infrastructure for the HBM sector, AI semiconductors, and next-generation rechargeable batteries. His work spans new facility investments, foreign reinvestment attraction, and cross-border coordination with global headquarters, contributing materially to the growth of Korea’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem.
Known for combining an engineering foundation with strategic and managerial expertise, Kim earned his MBA from Duke University in the United States and holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Korea University.
His recent receipt of the Presidential Citation has drawn attention within the industry, underscoring his contributions to investment and technology infrastructure in Korea’s high-tech manufacturing fields.
BCC Global Media — Follow-Up Coverage
BCC Global Media will continue its in-depth reporting on foreign industrial gas and materials companies expanding in Korea, focusing on their investments in AI semiconductors, secondary batteries, and other advanced manufacturing supply chains, as well as major infrastructure projects underway across the sector.