Hae Seong (HS) Jeong (pictured) has been appointed to lead the agency as managing director. Van Pelt was promoted to president last July.
Jeong has spent the past four years running Buzz Connection, a digital agency he co-founded with three others. Clients included GM, Club Med, K-Swiss, Merrell and Lecaf.
Prior to that, Jeong served as group account director at TBWA Korea, working with clients such as SK Telecom, Standard Chartered, Apple, adidas and Mirae Asset.
In a statement, Y&R’s Asia president Matthew Godfrey said: “HS has the personality and vision to lead Y&R Korea in the spirit in which it has begun: as an open, creative, collaborative and fun place to work that brings great global perspective and thinking to our clients.”
Van Pelt has been based in Seoul for just over four years. Before becoming president of Y&R, he was responsible for global client relationships with LG Electronics. Y&R was not able to confirm what van Pelt’s next move will be.