{
  "id": 7247728,
  "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",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T05:07:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "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 passing of its founder and honorary chairman, Ham Tai-ho. The event celebrated Ham's pioneering role in Korea's food industry and reaffirmed his philosophy of emphasizing product quality and enhancing dietary well-being.\n\nBorn in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province in present-day North Korea in 1930, Ham enlisted for military service during the Korean War. Following his service, he envisioned contributing to society through the food industry. Prior to founding Poonglim Trading, the predecessor of Otoki, in 1969, Ham acquired management experience at a food ingredient manufacturer.\n\nPoonglim Trading launched its first instant curry mix in the same year, followed by an array of products such as soups, ketchup, mayonnaise, and vinegar. The company underwent a name change to Otoki in 1973. Otoki played a significant role in shaping Korea's evolving food culture through a range of convenient products, notably its popular 3-Minute Sauce lineup. Throughout his life, Ham championed the principle of prioritizing product quality and improving 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": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "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",
        "published": "2026-09-14T04:57:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}