Chances are, if you own a smartphone, you’ve used a messaging app—maybe even LINE. It’s one of the most popular chat apps in Asia. But not everyone knows that the brains behind it is Lee Hae Jin, a tech visionary from South Korea.
Who Is Lee Hae Jin?
Lee Hae Jin isn’t just a name behind a successful app—he’s a major figure in South Korea’s tech world. Born on November 14, 1967, in Seoul, he studied at Seoul National University and later earned his master’s degree from KAIST, one of Korea’s top science and tech institutes.
Here’s a quick profile:
- Full Name: Cecilia Hae Jin Lee
- Age: 56
- Education: SNU (Bachelor’s), KAIST (Master’s)
- Current Role: Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer, Naver Corporation
- Net Worth: Around $990 million
- Family: Married, with two children
From Samsung to Startup Legend
After finishing school, Lee began his career at Samsung SDS. The experience gave him a strong foundation in the tech business. But he had bigger ambitions.
In the late 1990s, he joined NHN Corporation, a Japanese-Korean company. Under his leadership, NHN launched Naver.com in 1999—a search engine tailored for Korean users. It quickly became the go-to search platform in South Korea, one of the few places where Google isn’t the top choice.
By 2013, NHN officially rebranded as Naver Corporation, and Lee took the reins as founder and strategist.
It was at Naver that his team created what would become their biggest global hit: LINE.
The Birth of LINE
LINE was launched in 2011 after a major earthquake hit Japan. People were struggling to stay in touch due to network failures. Inspired by the long lines of people waiting to use pay phones, Lee’s team built an app that could let people communicate instantly—no matter where they were.
Initially released for Android and iOS, LINE exploded in popularity. By 2012, it had expanded to Blackberry, Windows, and Mac. It wasn’t just another chat app—it had personality, thanks to its fun stickers, easy video calls, and group chat features.
Today, LINE is the top free app in over 40 countries, including Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Spain, and Saudi Arabia. It supports 12 languages and continues to grow.
Beyond Messaging: The LINE Ecosystem
Lee didn’t stop at messaging. He expanded LINE into a full digital ecosystem, rolling out apps and services like:
- LINE GET RICH and LINE RANGERS – Hit mobile games
- LINE PAY – A cashless payment service
- LINE WEBTOON – A global comic-reading app
- LINE LIVE PLAYER – For streaming videos and music
- LINE CAMERA, LINE CARD, LINE BRUSH – Creative tools
- LINE ANTIVIRUS and LINE CCTV – For security and monitoring
- LINE @ – A business tool for managing customer engagement
The numbers speak for themselves. LINE Messenger alone has surpassed 500 million downloads on Android. When you include all platforms, the total number of LINE-related downloads tops a billion.
Final Thoughts
Lee Hae Jin’s journey is proof that innovation and timing can lead to global success. He saw a gap, acted quickly, and built something that changed the way people connect—not just in Korea, but around the world.
It makes you wonder—could the next big app come from Indonesia?
