About Coway > History

2007

		Coway, the leading brand in personal well-being appliance, launches in the United States Coway (CEO & President Joon Kee Hong) held its U.S launch party at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles on May 4, 2007. The 300 attendees included: Woongjin Group Chairman Joon Kee Hong, California State Assemblyman Mervyn M. Dymally (52nd District), Los Angeles City councilman Herb Wesson Jr. (District 10), California Board of Equalization member Michelle Park Steel, as well as many other VIPs and media guests.

Displayed at the event were 25 Coway products including 17 available models (11 water filtration systems, 2 bidets, 3 air purifiers, and a megasonic cleaning device) and others wll available in late June and early July. Coway also made donations at the launch party to Los Angeles nonprofit organizations.

Koreatown Youth Community Center (KYCC), LA Conservation Corps and Korean Health Education Information and Research Center (KHEIR) were the recipients. These donations embody our company philosophy to grow with the surrounding community and not simply pursue.

May : Establishes subsidiary in Los Angeles, California, USA         March : Receives reddot Design Award

2006

Woongjin Group conducts an enent/health vironmcampaign

Woongjin Group conducts an international environment/health campaign in Cambodia from Sep. 18 to 23. To the campaign participate persons of over 30, including Cambodian college students, Woongjin Group Vice-chairman Jin Lee and other officers, President of Geological Society of Korea Seok Won Choi, President of Korean Women's Environmental Network Young Suk Park, TV actor Da Hun Yun.

This group of volunteers visits an orphanage to present gifts and contributes medicines to a Korean-operated hospital in Cambodia in addition to drilling wells for residents living in poor conditions as part of Woongjin Group's campaign for environmental protection of the earth and improvement of children's welfare.

December : Acquires an eco-label from Korea Eco Products Institute - air purifier (AP--2506BHO/BHH)         November : Begins construction of Filter plant (til July 2009)       Receives Korea Industry Design Awards (KIDA) - water filtration device (CHP-06DL) and five other items         October : Launches Coway Energy       Sings MOU on technology cooperation with Japan's Mitsubishi Paper         September : Event for digging 1,000 wells for Cambodia       Participates in Aquatech 2006, Amsterdam       Signs MOU with Zepter, Poland         July : Opens Japanese subsidiary rental shop (Saimata prefecture near Tokyo)       Receives the 10th Energy Winner Award by the Consumers Korea - air purifier (AP-0805EH)         June : CEO Joon-Kee Hong inaugurated       Establishes subsidiary in Beijing, China         May : Starts construction of Research and Development Center at Seoul National University       Establishes subsidiary in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia       Sponsors 2006 World Cup in Germany       Receives Technology Frontier Award from Korea Standard Association (KSA) - air purifier (AP-0805EH)         April : Launches Coway Living Products Ltd.       Coway brand value ranked first in Global Brand Competency Index (GBCI) by Japan Management Consultants (JMAC) for three consecutive years (2004-2006)       Receives the 1st Sustainability Management Grand Prize from Korea Research Institute for Measurement and Assessment (KRIMA)         March : Participates in 2006 World Forum for Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) as the only Korean participant

2005

October : Opens the 1st Rental House         June : Selected as one of the 30 Most Admired Korean Companies for the 2 consecutive years by IBM         May : Merger and acquisition of Coway Development Co., Ltd.         April : Receives Technology Frontier Award - water filtration device (CPE-04BL) and digital bidet (BA-06A)

2004

November : Receives the Gold Medal for 2004 Korean Customer Satisfaction Management Awards         July : Receives the Grand Prize in the business sector at the Environmental-Friendly Management Award         May : Technology Frontier Award, grand prize - oxygen generating air purifier (AP-1005FH)

2003

May : Launches electronic appliances business through a merger with Doowon Tech Corp.         March : Moves Seoul office into Naewei Bldg, Euljiro 2-ga       Selected as No.1 company in Korea Brand Power Index by Korea Management Association for 5 consecutive years in the water filtration device division         March : Attracts 1 million of rental membership for water filtration devices

2002

May : Launches business of bathroom appliances         April : Selected as a good New Industrial Management Company by Korea's Ministry of Labor         March : Attracts 1 million of rental membership for water filtration devices

2001

October : Acquires CE certification from the ITS Intertek Testing Services       Acquires ULC certification (Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada)         August : Listed on the Korea Stock Exchange

2000

June : Establishes subsidiary in Thailand         February : Launches rental business in Thailand

1999

January : Launches multi-functional air purifier supporting humidification and warm wind functions for the first time in the industry       CE Marking (European Union) safety mark from German safety monitoring agency, TUV Bayern

1998

May : Completion of automatic filter production factory         April : Coway Development Co.,Ltd. starts rental business         February : CEO Yong Sun Park takes office

1997

June : Launches WJCHP-7000H household hot/cool water filtration device that adopted 3 way valve system, membrane auto cleaning function, and auto circulation function for the first time in the industry

1996

April : Becomes the first Asian business to win NSF quality certification (National Sanitation Foundation of the U.S.)       Wins the Presidential Award at the 96 National Inventions Promotion Contest       Becomes the first Korean business to win ISO1401/DIS certification for environmental management from the TUV Bayern Group         February : Opens the second production line at Yugu Factory

1995

March : Wins a Gold Seal mark for the entire line of production by the WQA         February : Acquires ISO 9001 certification from TUV Bayern Group , a quality guarantee certification group

1994

March : Completes the construction of Yugu factory

1993

November : Starts production and sales of WJCHO-8050, the first product adapting MICOM controller         May : Begins the construction of Yugu factory         January : Establishes the Environmental Technology Institute

1992

October : Produces the first Coway compact water filtration devices         April : Changes company name to Coway Co., Ltd.

1991

November : Exports water filtration devices to Japan         May : Begins the production of Coway water filtration device

1989

November : Registers as an official member of Water Quality Association (WQA)         May : Establishes Coway Co. (Paid-in capital: KRW 300 Million)

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