{
  "id": 7245743,
  "title": "Otoki's late founder remembered 10 years after death",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/otokis-late-founder-remembered-10-years-after-death",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T04:57:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/companies/20260914/otokis-late-founder-remembered-10-years-after-death"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Friday, Otoki held a memorial ceremony at Ham Tai-ho Hall in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the founder and honorary chairman, Ham Tai-ho's death. The event paid tribute to Ham's pioneering role in Korea's food industry and emphasized his management philosophy of emphasizing product quality and enhancing people's diets. Ham, born in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province in what is now part of North Korea in 1930, served in the military during the Korean War. Upon returning, he envisioned contributing to people's lives through the food industry. Ham gained valuable management experience at a food ingredient manufacturer before establishing Poonglim Trading, the predecessor to Otoki, in 1969. The company introduced its first instant curry mix that same year, followed by a range of products such as soups, ketchup, mayonnaise, and vinegar. In 1973, Poonglim Trading was renamed Otoki. Through convenience foods, including its popular 3-Minute Sauce lineup, Otoki played a significant role in shaping Korea's evolving food culture. Ham's management philosophy was to prioritize quality products and improve people's diets.",
  "summary": "Otoki held a memorial ceremony on Friday at Ham Tai-ho Hall in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of its founder and honorary chairman, Ham Tai-ho. The event honored Ham’s legacy as a pioneer of Korea’s food industry and reaffirmed his management philosophy of prioritizing product quality and improving people’s diets. Born in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province in…",
  "key_points": [
    "Otoki memorial ceremony held for Ham Tai-ho's 10th anniversary death",
    "Founder Ham Tai-ho emphasized product quality and healthy diets",
    "Poonglim Trading became Otoki in 1973, introducing instant curry mix"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The memorial ceremony for Otoki's founder underscores the lasting impact of his management philosophy on the company's role in shaping Korea's food culture and enhancing people's diets.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Otoki's late founder remembered 10 years after death",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/otokis-late-founder-remembered-10-years-after-death-7247728",
        "published": "2026-09-14T05:07:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}