Hanjin Group Chairman Awarded Title of Grand Officier in France’s Légion d’Honneur

Hanjin Group Chairman, Yang Ho Cho, has received one of the highest civilian honors awarded by the French Government, the title of Grand Officier in France’s Légion d’Honneur.

The honor was awarded to Chairman Cho by the President of France, François Hollande, at a special ceremony held in Seoul during President Hollande’s visit to Korea last week.

Chairman Cho has been networking in the private business arena as Chairman of the Korea-French High Level Businessmen’s Club. Further taking up the role of Chairman of France-Korea Year 2015-2016, Chairman Cho actively fosters cooperative ties between the two countries by advancing joint businesses opportunities.

Recently, Korean Air celebrated the launch of the Musée d’Orsay’s first-ever Korean-language audio guide, sponsored by the airline.

Founded by Napoléon Bonaparte in 1802, the Légion d’Honneur is France’s highest decoration, recognizing achievements in fields including public service, economics and culture. It is divided into five classes of increasing distinction: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand Officier (Grand Officer) and Grand Croix (Grand Cross).

Chairman Cho was awarded the title of ‘Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur’ in 2004 for his contribution to the bilateral cooperation between France and Korea.

The honor proves that Chairman Cho is following in the footsteps of his father, the late Chairman Choong Hoon Cho and the founder of Hanjin Group. Prior to Chairman Cho’s recent award, the late Chairman Choong Hoon Cho was the only Korean recipient of Grand Officier.