Choi Ji-hoon steps down as NP co-CEO following company merger

Choi Ji-hoon has stepped down as co-CEO of NP following its July merger with WYSIWYG Studios, according to public disclosures. The move comes as his fiancée, Seo In-young, faces controversy after requesting home appliance sponsorships on her YouTube channel ahead of their December 26 wedding.

As singer Seo In-young faces controversy for requesting home appliance sponsorships on her broadcast ahead of her remarriage, attention is also turning to the professional background of her fiancé, Choi Ji-hoon. Choi, who once served as the co-CEO of the KOSDAQ-listed company NP, stepped down from the representative position during a merger process and is recently listed in public disclosures as the CEO of a subsidiary.

On the 4th, Seo In-young announced via her YouTube channel 'Gaegwacheonseon Seo In-young' that she will marry on December 26. Sharing news that she has prepared a newlywed home in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, she drew attention by telling the production crew, "Get some home appliance sponsorships. I have no money. I spent all my money buying the house."

The public request for home appliance sponsorships ahead of preparing wedding goods has escalated into controversy following the broadcast. While some interpreted the remarks as a joke made to the production team, mixed reactions have emerged regarding whether the method of requesting sponsorships through broadcast content was appropriate. Alongside this, interest in the identity of her marriage partner, Choi, has risen again.

When news of Seo In-young's remarriage was first revealed in June, Choi Ji-hoon was introduced as the co-CEO of NP. NP is a company that has developed extended reality (XR) content businesses as well as planning and producing brand campaigns, exhibitions, and events. Given that the company has operated primarily in the fields of advertising, events, and video content, Choi's related career has also drawn attention.

The change in Choi's representative position occurred during the merger process of NP. In July, as NP absorbed WYSIWYG Studios, the existing co-CEOs Baek Seung-eop and Choi Ji-hoon resigned, and Jo Jae-deok was newly appointed as CEO. The merged entity subsequently changed its name to Com2uS N. Consequently, Choi stepped down from his position as co-CEO of NP.

NP's merger securities report contains detailed records of Choi's career in the fields of advertising and event planning. He is recorded to have worked at Daehong Communications and Yeon Hanaro Communications, and served as the CEO of Design Eleven and a center director at the Korea National University of Arts. However, the career related to the Korea National University of Arts is specified as employment history, and no separate information regarding an alma mater or degree is listed in that profile.

While serving as co-CEO of NP, Choi also concurrently served as the CEO of the video content production company Real Peach, a subsidiary. Real Peach is a company that has supported the operation of XR studios and produced virtual spaces used in broadcasts and online concerts. Although some reports regarding Seo In-young's remarriage recently introduced Choi as the "CEO of NP," his position is listed as "CEO of a subsidiary of Com2uS N" in a stock ownership disclosure as of the end of September.

Seo In-young, born in 1984, will hold her wedding ceremony on December 26 with Choi Ji-hoon, who is six years her senior. The ceremony is planned to be a small-scale event held at a church, inviting only close acquaintances. Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the remarks about appliance sponsorships, the corporate career and current position of the groom-to-be are being spotlighted once again.

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