Ha Joo-hyun's Journey to Becoming Bioderma Korea's CEO

Ha Joo-hyun’s life has been a journey marked by unexpected turns and bold decisions. From her academic background in French language and literature at Korea University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, to her studies at the Paris Translation and Interpretation Graduate School, she has built a career that spans continents and industries. Now 59 years old and serving as CEO of Naos Korea, a leading derma cosmetic brand, Ha has traveled across South America, North America, Europe, and Oceania, leaving a trail of accomplishments in her wake.

This newspaper met with her on the 15th to discuss her memoir, Crossing Borders, Designing Myself (Yemi). “Our household was thrown into chaos,” she said, recalling the early days of her marriage. She married a Frenchman in 1995, who was the director of the French language institute Alliance Française. As his postings took them around the world, she had to abandon seven years of French language studies to follow him to Venezuela.

“I didn’t want to be unemployed. I schemed and went without hesitation,” she recalled. Before boarding the flight, she approached the producer of MBC Radio’s The World Now and asked to become a correspondent. “I’m not a journalist, but I’ve translated for Le Monde and Le Figaro, and interpreted for the press during President Mitterrand’s visit to Korea. You don’t cover Latin America, right? Hire me.” The producer replied indifferently, “Go ahead and send reports.”

Her correspondent career began. Every morning, Ha scoured Latin American newspapers at a kiosk, studying Spanish to find story ideas. She took private lessons and lived with a dictionary. Over three years, she produced 200 episodes, including segments on the “Miss Universe training system.” “My scripts were never ‘killed.’ As my language skills improved, KOTRA even requested my interpretation services.”

In 1998, Venezuela’s mobile phone market was booming. Hyundai Electronics (later split into multiple companies after the foreign exchange crisis) aimed to sell its “Gulliver” phones there. Recommended by KOTRA, Ha joined as a local staff member. Competitors included Nokia and Motorola. “No one knew Hyundai back then. I went without hesitation again.”

Analyzing the telecom company’s bidding structure, she identified two key personnel. “You’re new to mobile phones. You don’t need expensive, feature-heavy phones. Start with the affordable Gulliver, which ‘connects when you call.’” Her pitch worked: 1 million units were supplied over two years, a $100 million project. “I learned business from the ground up,” she reflected.

In 2000, her husband was posted to Toulouse, France, where Ha pursued an MBA. Graduation required an internship, but no Korean companies matched the program’s criteria. “If there’s no option, I’ll create one,” she thought, drafting a business plan. Rejections piled up until she secured a meeting with Pierre Fabre, the pharmaceutical and cosmetics group behind Avène. “Korea has no derma cosmetics market yet. Let me build it.” Hired as Korea Project Manager, she became the first Korean executive and returned as head of the Korean branch within two years.

Her husband later became a vice principal at the French School in Seorae Village, then received a posting to North Korea. He taught at Kim Il-Sung University and a foreign language middle-high school. Though France had no diplomatic ties with North Korea, her husband—a civil servant, not a diplomat—was posted alone. She worried, but foreigners could move safely via designated routes without contact with locals. He could visit Korea every five weeks via Beijing. Their French-national children briefly visited North Korea toward the end of his term. As a Korean, Ha was banned from entry. “North Korea charged him 500,000 Korean won per month just to use email? They censored everything, but when he returned, they inspected his photos. The kids toured Kim Il-Sung’s birthplace and museums, but they were too young to grasp it.”

The next challenge was an Australia posting. “I thought the kids, now in elementary school, needed their parents.” She stepped down as branch head after five years. Approaching the economic counselor at France’s Australian embassy, she asked for French company introductions. Intrigued, the embassy offered, “Why not work with us?” She became an energy and environment attaché. But creating her own role didn’t suit civil service. She quit after three years, following her husband to Ottawa, Canada.

“I loved making mapa-tofu so much the kids told me to stop. I guess housework isn’t my thing, haha,” she laughed. While considering starting a company, a French headhunter contacted her: “Bioderma wants to establish a Korean branch.” The interview was a success. Her heart raced. She told her husband, “I’ve followed you everywhere. This, I must do.”

Ha became CEO of Bioderma Korea (now Naos Korea) in 2011 and has led it ever since. Starting from a shared office, she grew the company to manage three brands: Bioderma, Estiderm, and Etapure. The flagship product, Bioderma Sensibio H2O Pink Cap Cleansing Water, has won numerous awards at Olive Young. Now fully settled in Korea with her family, her next goal is to grow the company into something like L’Oréal. “Creating your own path opens doors. Opportunities aren’t waited for—they’re pursued.”

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