Ceragem's founder has begun a succession process to hand management control to a professional manager rather than a blood relative. Ceragem said on Monday that Chairman Lee Hwan-sung (이환성) adopted CEO Lee Kyung-soo (이경수) as an adult child and decided to pass on his stake. The company said it completed a first-stage transfer this year by gifting 10 percent of total issued shares to Lee and filing gift taxes. The adult adoption process was completed in 2025.

The company said Lee Hwan-sung decided on the succession because he judged that a person with insight into the essence of the business and management expertise would grow the company. The two built a management philosophy and trust while sharing the growth process for more than 20 years. After reviewing multiple alternatives, they chose adult adoption in consideration of factors such as stability of the ownership structure.

Lee Kyung-soo joined the company as an entry-level employee in 2003 and worked in strategic planning, marketing and domestic and overseas sales. In 2017, he directly operated an agency in Sichuan province in China. The following year, at Lee Hwan-sung's request, he took charge of the domestic business and pursued a new growth strategy. Ceragem said the company became the No. 1 healthcare company in South Korea in 2021. Lee expanded the business from a focus on spine care medical devices to the medical home appliance market.

Lee introduced "Wellcafe" in 2019 and established experiential marketing in the domestic market. He also continued to diversify product lines and innovate the business structure. Founded in 1998, Ceragem is a home healthcare company that grew with spine care medical devices and massage chairs. More recently, it has been preparing a transition to a global wellness company by promoting an "AI Wellness Home" vision that combines "7-Care Solution" and AI technology in residential spaces.

Ceragem will continue to review medium- and long-term succession plans, it said. The company said it will comprehensively consider sustainable growth, management continuity and stability of the ownership structure.

A Ceragem official said, "This succession is a decision to prepare Ceragem's future by connecting the founder's entrepreneurial spirit with the capabilities of a next-generation manager proven over more than 20 years." The official said, "Going forward, we will pursue sustainable growth of the company based on a stable governance structure and responsible management, while also practicing the values of social responsibility and sharing."