Cho Man-ho is the man behind South Korea’s buzzy fashion e-tailer Musinsa. The company’s founder and chief executive leveraged the country’s cultural clout on the global fashion stage to grow an online community into a colossal business selling trend-driven K-fashion. Founded in 2001 as an online hub for sneaker enthusiasts, Musinsa grew into one of South Korea’s largest online fashion platforms by capitalising on global interest in Korean exports like pop music, dramas and beauty products. Cho achieved this by nurturing a loyal user base, inking collaborations with key Korean labels and investing in AI-powered personalisation.
In 2024, Musinsa’s sales exceeded 1 trillion won ($680 million) for the first time, and operating profits exceeded 100 billion won. As of 2025, it sold to 13 global markets through English-language site Musinsa Global alongside 28 domestic stores. In the same year, the retailer entered a joint venture with activewear giant Anta Sports to expand its private label Musinsa Standard and the multi-brand store business in the Chinese market. Cho, who has a degree in fashion design from Dankook University, founded the community that would become Musinsa when he was still in high school.
