[EY Entrepreneur of the Year] Pioneering Eco-Friendly Pigments for Global Markets

Wooshin Pigment is a South Korean company specializing in the production of pigments — powdered colorants used in a wide range of products, including inks, paints, cosmetics, and more. The company imports raw materials exclusively from LANXESS, a leading German specialty chemicals company, ensuring high-quality inputs for its products.

With a client base of over 500 domestic and international companies, Wooshin Pigment holds a commanding 40-50% share of the South Korean pigment market, maintaining its position as the market leader.

Building the business

CEO Jang Sung-sook's journey started in 1975, when she took a bookkeeping job at a pigment company and taught herself the market by managing inventory firsthand. When the company faced closure three years later, she acquired it herself.

In an industry traditionally dominated by men, Jang secured a pivotal contract with Saehan Media, producing colored monitor cases for IBM exports. This marked the beginning of Wooshin Pigment's ascent in the industry.

Eco-friendly pigment technology

Wooshin Pigment pioneered water-based liquid pigments and later developed non-toxic organic-inorganic hybrid pigments, building a leading position in the eco-friendly pigment market. The company now holds a 90% share of South Korea's eco-friendly liquid pigment market.

International recognition

That track record led to Wooshin Pigment's selection for EY's Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ Asia-Pacific program in 2020, one of 22 women entrepreneurs chosen from nine countries across the region and the only one from Korea that year.

Wooshin Pigment continues to expand internationally, building on the same water-based and non-toxic pigment technology that earned it the EY recognition.