Philippe Van Hoof, the head of ING Korea, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea, according to the European business lobby group on Thursday.

Van Hoof will lead the business lobby group until early 2025, taking over from Dirk Lukat, CEO of Schenker Korea, who concluded his third term ahead of schedule as he is preparing for his career outside Korea, according to ECCK.

Since August 2021, Van Hoof has held the position of country manager at ING Bank in Seoul. Prior to that, he served as the head of ING's division for financial institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, based in Singapore.

Belgian banking industry expert Van Hoof, who has more than 29 years of experience, has devoted more than half of his career -- around 15 years -- to Asia, including Singapore, South Korea and Japan, according to the ECCK.

Van Hoof joined the ECCK as a member from 2021 and was elected in June 2022 as chairperson of ECCK’s sustainability committee.

Established in 2012, the ECCK serves as an advocacy group to promote trade and business relationships between South Korea and Europe. It boasts approximately 400 member companies, representing around 50,000 employees working in Korea.