Chung Dae-sun, husband of former anchor Noh Hyun-jung, enters funeral services business

Chung Dae-sun, a grandson of the late Hyundai Group Honorary Chairman Chung Ju-yung and husband of former TV anchor Noh Hyun-jung, is entering the funeral services business with a new venture called HN Sangjo.

HN Sangjo announced Thursday that it will hold a launch ceremony on Nov. 16, with Chung attending as chief executive alongside co-representatives Kim Se-gyu, who will oversee operations, and Jeon Min-chan, who will head business development.

HN Sangjo specializes in post-payment funeral services, in which customers pay only when a funeral occurs rather than making fixed monthly installments in advance as with prepaid plans.

To support the model, the company has partnered with 647 funeral homes nationwide as well as small and midsize manufacturers of funeral supplies. The headquarters will handle marketing, financial management, quality standardization and IT infrastructure, while local firms carry out on-the-ground services.

Chung plans to lead the expansion of HN Sangjo's corporate network and business growth.

Jeon will oversee quality management drawing on 37 years of field experience, while Kim will focus on corporate partnerships and digital service integration.

The company is also targeting the corporate funeral benefits market, in which companies partner with funeral service providers to offer bereavement services as an employee welfare benefit. HN Sangjo plans to leverage Chung's personal connections to expand corporate funeral service offerings to employees and their families at Hyundai-affiliated companies, other major domestic firms, and various industry associations.

"By combining our corporate network, 37 years of funeral field experience and IT capabilities, we will establish a transparent post-payment funeral standard that both businesses and individuals can trust," Kim said. "We aim to be a partner that provides real help and peace of mind at the most disorienting moment — when a death occurs."

Meanwhile, Chung acquired IT firm Yussi Tech in 2008 and took over its management, later renaming it BS&C and expanding into construction and IT. In 2021, Chung rebranded the company as HN in a bid to reinvigorate it, but the firm could not overcome a liquidity crisis and entered court receivership in 2023. The following year, it was sold to Taechu E&C, an affiliate of SM Group, for 15 billion won ($11.2 million), transferring control of the company.