Philip Morris Korea said Wednesday it has appointed Lee Hong-suk as its new managing director, effective May 1.
Lee, currently head of smoke-free products, brings more than two decades of experience across global markets within Philip Morris International. Since joining the company in 1999, he has held key commercial and strategic roles.
He has built extensive international experience in markets including Singapore and Hong Kong, and served as general manager of Philip Morris Taiwan in 2018, where he led business growth, organizational transformation and new commercial initiatives.
Since returning to Korea in 2021, Lee has headed commercial operations and later the smoke-free products division, where he expanded the company’s reduced-risk portfolio and strengthened its market presence.
“In a market as important as South Korea, strong and experienced leadership is essential,” said Vassilis Gkatzelis, president of the East & Southeast Asia, Pacific and Global Travel Retail region at Philip Morris International. “Lee has a proven track record of driving growth and a deep understanding of the local market.”
Lee said the company will continue to advance its smoke-free strategy through innovation.
“We will expand better alternatives for adult smokers while strengthening our presence in Korea,” he said. “We also plan to deepen engagement with the government, public health experts and other stakeholders to support Korea’s broader public health goals.”
By Lee Han-gyoul (stlee0329@heraldcorp.com)
