"R&D is my primary
mission in life"
Founder of Hanmi Group, Sung-ki Lim(1940-2020.8)
through the eight-thousanders
Chairman Sung-ki Lim treasured this photo of the base camp of climbers gathered under a starry sky just before climbing to the summit of Everest in the Himalayas. He must have identified himself and his entire life with this photo, which silently stepped toward his grand dream of becoming a pharmaceutical powerhouse and developing innovative global new drugs.
The words that best describe the life of the late chairman and founder of Hanmi Group Sung-ki Lim, are ‘R&D’ and ‘New Drugs’.
After founding Hanmi Pharm in 1973, he created the “Korean R&D strategy” and actually turned it into reality. Prior to the founding of Hanmi Group, Chairman Sung-ki Lim, who surprised the world with his 'different & differentiated' idea from the time he operated the Sung-ki Lim Pharmacy named after himself, has left his footprints deeply engraved at every milestone in the development of the Korean pharmaceutical bio-industry since the founding of Hanmi.
“Let’s try a new drug, not a generic one,” “A pharmaceutical company that does not develop new drugs is a dead company,” “R&D is my life.” In his words, you can get a glimpse of his passion, desire, and obsession with his mission to become a pharmaceutical powerhouse as a natural pharma man. The spirit of Sung-ki Lim, a pharmaceutical giant who introduced the topic of new drug development into the Korean biopharmaceutical industry thus vigorously changing its path, is now a clear beacon that guides the future direction of Hanmi Group.
The words that best describe the life of the late chairman and founder of Hanmi Group Sung-ki Lim, are ‘R&D’ and ‘New Drugs’.
After founding Hanmi Pharm in 1973, he created the “Korean R&D strategy” and actually turned it into reality. Prior to the founding of Hanmi Group, Chairman Sung-ki Lim, who surprised the world with his 'different & differentiated' idea from the time he operated the Sung-ki Lim Pharmacy named after himself, has left his footprints deeply engraved at every milestone in the development of the Korean pharmaceutical bio-industry since the founding of Hanmi.
“Let’s try a new drug, not a generic one,” “A pharmaceutical company that does not develop new drugs is a dead company,” “R&D is my life.” In his words, you can get a glimpse of his passion, desire, and obsession with his mission to become a pharmaceutical powerhouse as a natural pharma man. The spirit of Sung-ki Lim, a pharmaceutical giant who introduced the topic of new drug development into the Korean biopharmaceutical industry thus vigorously changing its path, is now a clear beacon that guides the future direction of Hanmi Group.
Sung-ki Lim(1940 - 2020)
- Born in Gimpo. Graduated from From Chung-Ang Univ., Dept. of Pharmacy.
- Founder of Hanmi Group
President Lim had excellent insight and a pioneering spirit. He presented a “Korean Model for New Drug Development,” creating new fixed-dose combinations and incrementally modified drugs for the first time in Korea, and established Beijing Hanmi Pharmaceutical. He signed Korea's first and largest license-out (technology export) contracts with Roche, Novartis, Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, and Genentech, leading the Korean pharmaceutical industry to a new springboard known as 'Development of Global Innovative New Drugs through R&D'. Based on his management philosophies, which were ‘respect for humanity’ and ‘value creation’, he raised the company and the pharmaceutical industry with a spirit of creativity, innovation, and challenge and always had this genuine compassion and love for neighbors and employees need.
Located on the 20th floor of Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s Seoul headquarters, the Sung-ki Lim Memorial Hall is a space established to honor the life, achievements, and philosophy of Hanmi Group founder and former chairman Sung-ki Lim.
Chairman Sung-ki Lim started the ‘Sung-ki Lim Pharmacy’ in Hwigyeong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, in 1966 and established Hanmi Pharm in 1973. He was a leading figure in the Korean pharmaceutical industry who raised Hanmi to the position of a representative pharmaceutical company in Korea.
The life of creation, innovation, and challenge of Chairman Sung-ki Lim, who filled his entire life with ‘challenges to become a pharmaceutical powerhouse’ and ‘the development of innovative new drugs’, is now fully enshrined in the Sung-ki Lim Memorial Hall.
The bust of Chairman Sung-ki Lim, created by the artist Moon-seup Shim, and the 12 innovative products designed through Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s ‘Korean-type R&D’, which are phased from generics to incrementally modified drugs, fixed-dose combinations, and global innovative drug development, are exhibited to show the achievements of Chairman Sung-ki Lim along the history of the development of the Korean pharmaceutical industry.
The notebooks, english dictionary, bookholder, and briefcases he used during his lifetime are also on display, showing his passion for becoming a pharmaceutical powerhouse and the traces of his sincere and simple life. In addition, a collection of church sermons and books, which were the basis of the philosophy of ‘respect for humanity’ that has led Hanmi, as well as undisclosed photos of his younger days and videos containing his voice, are also on display.
On one side of the memorial hall, there is a chair symbolizing Chairman Sung-ki Lim, along with a resting space where visitors can sense and commemorate the spirit of Chairman Sung-ki Lim.
The Sung-ki Lim Memorial Hall is a place where Chairman Sung-ki Lim's spirit of creation, innovation, and challenge is handed down to the next generation and a space where we can glimpse the future of Hanmi Group, which will advance as a global pharmaceutical company in accordance with his volition.
Chairman Sung-ki Lim started the ‘Sung-ki Lim Pharmacy’ in Hwigyeong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, in 1966 and established Hanmi Pharm in 1973. He was a leading figure in the Korean pharmaceutical industry who raised Hanmi to the position of a representative pharmaceutical company in Korea.
The life of creation, innovation, and challenge of Chairman Sung-ki Lim, who filled his entire life with ‘challenges to become a pharmaceutical powerhouse’ and ‘the development of innovative new drugs’, is now fully enshrined in the Sung-ki Lim Memorial Hall.
The bust of Chairman Sung-ki Lim, created by the artist Moon-seup Shim, and the 12 innovative products designed through Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s ‘Korean-type R&D’, which are phased from generics to incrementally modified drugs, fixed-dose combinations, and global innovative drug development, are exhibited to show the achievements of Chairman Sung-ki Lim along the history of the development of the Korean pharmaceutical industry.
The notebooks, english dictionary, bookholder, and briefcases he used during his lifetime are also on display, showing his passion for becoming a pharmaceutical powerhouse and the traces of his sincere and simple life. In addition, a collection of church sermons and books, which were the basis of the philosophy of ‘respect for humanity’ that has led Hanmi, as well as undisclosed photos of his younger days and videos containing his voice, are also on display.
On one side of the memorial hall, there is a chair symbolizing Chairman Sung-ki Lim, along with a resting space where visitors can sense and commemorate the spirit of Chairman Sung-ki Lim.
The Sung-ki Lim Memorial Hall is a place where Chairman Sung-ki Lim's spirit of creation, innovation, and challenge is handed down to the next generation and a space where we can glimpse the future of Hanmi Group, which will advance as a global pharmaceutical company in accordance with his volition.