# DongKoo Bio&Pharma

DongKoo Bio&Pharma is a Corporate Investor based in Seoul, South Korea.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Corporate Investor
- **Headquarters:** Seoul, South Korea
- **Region:** Asia
- **Address:** 14th Floor, Building B, 114 Beobwon-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- **Founded:** 1983
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.dongkoo.com
- **LinkedIn:** linkedin.com/company/동구바이오제약

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Cho Yong-joon assumed control from his late father, Cho Dong-seop, building on a domestic manufacturing business that began with prescription medicine and cosmetics. Today the operating company runs three South Korean facilities — a Songpa-gu headquarters, an R&D center in Anyang, and a Hyangnam plant in Hwaseong — while Honorary Chairwoman Lee Kyung-ok, Cho’s mother, retains a presence in governance. The family’s wealth remains tightly linked to the underlying pharma business, which acts as both asset origin and ongoing income engine. Investment activity filters through a corporate balance sheet and a separate investment office at Parc.1 in Yeouido, Seoul’s financial district. The firm allocates across venture and growth equity, real estate, and private credit, with a sector bias toward healthcare services that mirrors its operating expertise. DongKoo participates directly in early-stage life-science startups through venture arms, and a Laos manufacturing joint venture with LVMC Holdings illustrates its willingness to deploy capital alongside operating partners where pharmaceutical production can scale regionally. The real-asset portfolio includes the investor-grade commercial building housing its own headquarters. Total investable assets are undisclosed; Altss estimates an allocation pool of roughly $150–$200 million derived from operating profits and real estate holdings. Chairman Cho also chairs the Korea Pharmaceutical Cooperative Association, placing the family at the center of domestic industry policy discussions — a role that shapes both operating strategy and the pipeline of deal flow reaching the investment office. DongKoo’s structural differentiator is the handshake distance between its manufacturing P&L and its investment committee. Unlike a general family office that liquidated an operating business, the firm runs a live CMO (contract manufacturing organization) whose revenues can absorb the illiquidity of early-stage biotech bets. This architecture gives Cho Yong-joon the ability to write patient, multi-year checks into Korean health-tech startups without relying on third-party fundraising cycles.

## Sectors

- Healthcare Services
- Private Credit
- Real Estate
- Venture Capital

## Offices

- Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
- Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

## People

- Cho Yong-joon — Chairman and CEO
- Lee Kyung-ok — Honorary Chairwoman
- Cho Dong-seop — Late founder

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at DongKoo Bio&Pharma?

Chairman and CEO Cho Yong-joon, the second-generation owner, makes investment decisions. He operates from the company’s headquarters in Songpa-gu and its dedicated investment office in Yeouido, Seoul. Honorary Chairwoman Lee Kyung-ok, his mother, retains board-level influence but does not appear in day-to-day investment roles.

### What investment stages does DongKoo Bio&Pharma typically target?

The firm covers a wide range from seed and early-stage startups to expansion-stage companies, as well as buyout opportunities. Much of the venture allocation concentrates on early-stage life-science companies in South Korea. The firm also makes direct real asset purchases and deploys into private credit.

### How is DongKoo related to LVMC Holdings?

DongKoo Bio&Pharma and LVMC Holdings are business partners in LDK Pharma, a joint venture based in Laos. The venture combines DongKoo’s pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise with LVMC’s regional presence, extending DongKoo’s operating footprint into Southeast Asia through a corporate rather than purely financial channel.

## Related profiles

- [Wates Family Holdings](https://altss.com/profile/wates-family-holdings)
- [Allen Capital Management](https://altss.com/profile/allen-capital-management-acm)

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Last updated: 2026-07-06T00:32:54.071Z

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