Sohn Bok-nam, chief adviser of CJ Group, is dead at 89

Sohn Bok-nam, chief advisor of CJ Group and mother of chairman Lee Jay-hyun, passed away Saturday morning at the age of 89.

Sohn Bok-nam, chief adviser of CJ Group [CJ GROUP]

Sohn Bok-nam, chief adviser of CJ Group and mother of chairman Lee Jay-hyun, passed away Saturday morning at the age of 89.

She suffered a stroke in 2015 and her health had been deteriorating since.

She is survived by her eldest daughter Lee Mi-kyung, vice chair of CJ Group, and two sons: CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun and Jaesan Holdings Chairman Lee Jae-hwan.

Her funeral altar is at the CJ HumanVille building in Jung District, central Seoul. The building was constructed in 2003 after the demolition of the house where she lived with her children. The building is currently used to host job training programs for CJ employees and various other company events.

She will be laid to rest in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, where her late husband Lee Maeng-hee, honorary chairman of CJ Group, is buried.

Born in 1933, she married Lee, the eldest son of Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chul, in 1956.

CJ Group chairman Lee said his mother was the “hidden supporter behind the creation of CJ Group” and that she was one of the people that allowed him to solidify his position as the head of the company.

The late Sohn exchanged her 19.6 percent stake in Anguk Fire & Marine Insurance — currently known as Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance — for late Lee Kun-hee’s 11.3 percent stake in CheilJedang in 1993, allowing CheilJedang to be spun off from Samsung Group. She later signed over her entire stake in the company to her older son, helping him to reach the chairman position.

She was also one of the people who strongly supported using the name Bibigo for CJ CheilJedang’s food brand in 2010, saying the name is catchy and easy for foreigners to pronounce.

The site of CJ Blossom Park, CJ Group's research and development hub, was also chosen by Sohn in 2017. She is said to have chosen Gwanggyo, Gyeonggi, so the center could closely cooperate with hospitals and research centers in the region.

Various business leaders visited her funeral altar, which has been open for visitors from Sunday.

Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong and his mother Hong Ra-hee were first to visit at 9 a.m., arriving an hour earlier than the opening to express their condolences.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, Hanwha Group Vice President Kim Dong-kwan, SK discovery Vice Chairman Chey Chang-won and JoongAng Holdings Chairman Hong Seok-Hyun also visited.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]