Hanmi Pharm’s chair poised to win management feud with her son

Song Young-sook (left), Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group chairman and Lim Ju Hyun, co-president of Hanmi Pharm (Courtesy of Yonhap)

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group Chairman Song Young-sook is poised to claim a victory in a year-long dispute with her eldest son Lim Jong-yoon to take control of the South Korean pharmaceutical giant.

Lim, director of Hanmi Science Co., has agreed to sell a 5% stake in the company to the four-way group led by her mother and sister Lim Ju Hyun, Hanmi Science said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.

The alliance already commands 49.42% of Hanmi Science, the holding company of Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. as of Dec. 23.

After taking over Lim’s shares, the coalition will secure two thirds of votes, including those of friendly shareholders, enough to control its board of directors.

Lim Jong-yoon, director of Hanmi Science and eldest son of Hanmi Pharm’s late founder Lim Sung-ki

Under the agreement, Lim will sell his shares for 12.7 billion won ($8.7 million), or 37,000 won per share, to his mother Shin and private equity firm La Defense Partners.

The selling price compared with its Thursday finish at 29,450 won.

Lim will use the proceeds to pay inheritance taxes slapped after his father Lim Sung-ki died in 2020. They will drop lawsuits filed against each side.

Kim Namgyu, head of private equity firm La Defense, is understood to have mediated the family dispute, according to industry sources.

La Defense holds a casting vote over the family feud.

By Jong-Kwan Park and Ji-Eun Ha

pjk@hankyung.com

Yeonhee Kim edited this article.

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