Otoki's late founder remembered 10 years after death

Otoki held a memorial ceremony on Friday at Ham Tai-ho Hall in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of its founder and honorary chairman, Ham Tai-ho. The event honored Ham’s legacy as a pioneer of Korea’s food industry and reaffirmed his management philosophy of prioritizing product quality and improving people’s diets. Born in Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province in what is now part of North Korea in 1930, Ham volunteered for military service during the Korean War. After completing his service, he developed a vision of contributing to people’s lives through the food industry. Ham gained management experience at a food ingredient manufacturer before founding Poonglim Trading, the predecessor to Otoki, in 1969. The company launched their first instant curry mix that same year, followed by other products including soups, ketchup, mayonnaise and vinegar. Poonglim Trading was renamed Otoki in 1973. Otoki helped shape Korea’s evolving food culture through convenience foods, including its popular 3-Minute Sauce lineup. Ham championed the principle of contrib