Chun Yang Hyun

CHUN YANG HYUN 천양현 (千 良鉉), born September 4, 1966, is a Korean entrepreneur in Japan.
He is the founder and chairman of cocone Corp., founder of Hangame Japan (current Hangame), and chairman of INSTeM Foundation (representative of the founder). 
He runs AG investment, a venture capital firm in Korea.
== Early life and Education ==
Chun spent his childhood in Jayang-dong, downtown Seoul, South Korea. He moved to Japan in 1994 to see with his own eyes how Japan became strong. He made a living delivering newspapers, cleaning parks, and working part-time at a Yakiniku restaurant while attending a Japanese language school.He graduated from Waseda University and went to graduate school at Keio University, where he received a master's degree in cognitive linguistics in 1998.
== Business career ==
After graduating, he returned to his home country and reunited with his childhood friend, Kim Beom-soo (businessman), who was the later founder and chairman of Kakao, and they separately established an PC bang in Seoul. Both of them succeeded in the business far beyond what they expected, and Kim offered Chun to join Hangame to work together, which Kim founded with their funds from the PC bang business in 1999.
In 2000, while the company, Hangame, was still in its infancy, Chun decided to return to Japan to set up Hangame Japan from scratch in a 75,000 yen apartment he rented in Dogenzaka, Shibuya. He gathered people to work with by fumbling around, and put the business on track in two years. 
In 2006, he became the Chief Growth Officer (CGO) of NHN Corporation, which changed its name from Hangame, in his home country while continuing to serve as the CEO of NHN Japan, which changed its name from Hangame Japan.
In 2007, he became Chairman of NHN Japan but left the company to start up a new online business, entrusting Ryo Morikawa, who came from Sony. Then he founded a new company, cocone Corporation in 2008. As of 2022, he is Chairman of cocone Corp.
In 2016, he established a venture capital (VC) firm in Korea called Cognitive Investmentand changed its name to AG Investment in 2019. He guides startups in IT, AI, biotechnology, robotics, quantum computing, and Semiconductor financially and as an entrepreneur. Chun wanted to be a bridge for both Korean and Japanese startups to enter both countries.
In 2019, he acquired NHN Hangame Corp. from NHN Japan Corp., which he founded nineteen years ago. NHN Hangame became a wholly owned subsidiary of cocone Corp., and now, its name is cocone v Corporation. 
On July 1, 2022, he established an independent nexus, "INSTeM Foundation," which is located between academism and journalism, between professional knowledge and everyday knowledge, between professionals and non-professionals, between mass media and social media, between countries and regions, and bridging them.
== Career History ==
1994 - Moved to Japan
1998 - Completed Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University
2000 - Hangame Japan Corp., President, and Representative Director
2007 - Chairman of the Board of NHN Japan Corporation, which was changed its name from Hangame Japan Corp. (currently its name is Line Corporation|LINE Corp.)
2008 - Left the NHN Japan Corp. and founded cocone Corporation
2009 - President and Representative Director, cocone Corp.
2014 - Chairman and Representative Director, cocone Corp.
2016 - Established Cognitive Investment（current AG Investment）
2018 - Chairman of the Board, cocone Corp. (current position)
2022 - Established the Foundation INSTeM. Representative Chairman
Category:1966 births
Category:South Korean businesspeople