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FOUNDER & RESEARCH TEAM

Founder and research team

A CEO with more than forty years in fermentation and microbial research, working with a team of specialists across each field.

Young-Chul Joo, Ph.D., CEO of Vicell, holding a yoghurt reference book in front of the research library

Hello. I am Young-Chul Joo,
CEO of Vicell.

Building on more than forty years of expertise in fermentation and microbial research, Vicell helps people recover and maintain their health so that each of them can live their own life fully.

We are also building a foundation where, through a balance of physical and mental health, each person can live as a healthy member of society with a sense of stability and worth.

By contributing to the prevention of disease and to the realization of healthy lives, we will be a company that walks with more people on the journey to complete their own purpose and happiness.

Young-Chul Joo, Ph.D. CEO of Vicell, Food Technologist

Education and core qualifications

  • B.S. in Food Engineering, Seoul National University
  • M.S. and Ph.D. in Dairy Science and Dairy Microbiology, Graduate School of Seoul National University
  • National technical qualification: Professional Engineer in Food Technology, the highest qualification in the food field
  • Other qualifications: Food Engineer Level 1, Environmental Water Quality Engineer Level 1

Career highlights

  • Director of the Technology Research Institute, Haitai Dairy Co., Ltd. (from 1982, twenty years of service)

Leadership in food development and microbial research

  • Commissioned researcher, Fermented Food Research Team, Korea Food Research Institute (Research Director, 2002 to 2003)
  • Former board member, Korea Professional Engineers Association for Food Technology
  • Former board member, Korea Dairy Processing Research Association

Academic activity and lecturing

  • University lecturing: Konkuk University, Hankyong National University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Dongnam Health University, Suwon Women's University and others
  • Main subjects: dairy processing, microbiology, fermentation engineering
  • Government and institutional training: invited lecturer for the basic agricultural processing course at the Sejong City Agricultural Technology Center (2024 to 2026), covering food fundamentals, characteristics of processed food ingredients, and the types and applications of food processing

Awards

  • Commissioner of the Venture Business Administration Award (2023, venture company)

Representative research and development achievements

Key products developed

  • Leading Korean beverages: participated in and invented the national probiotic drinks Coolpis and Skol
  • Pioneering vegan and alternative foods: vegan yogurt, vegan cheese and rice yogurt
  • Bio and healthcare materials: gut function health foods for constipation and diarrhea care (Yogo Yogo and others), anti obesity probiotics, bone growth support products, fermented enzymes, new antibacterial and antiviral materials, and fermented red ginseng (patented)

Selected academic papers

  • Doctoral thesis: a study on the characteristics of fermented milk co-cultured with lactic acid bacteria and yeast isolated from kefir (2003)
  • Master's thesis: a study on milk protein hydrolysis and stability in fermented milk by lactic acid bacteria (1987)
  • A study on the characteristics of kefir grains collected in Korea (2003, Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources)
  • The effect of drinking Yogo Yogo on constipation symptoms (1997, Recent Medicine, during tenure at Haitai Dairy)

Research team

Specialists in fermented milk, microbiology, fermented foods and product planning develop each project together.

Cha Kwang-jong

Ph.D.

Fermented milk specialist

Bae Hyung-seok

Ph.D.

Microbiology and feed research specialist

Song Myung-wook

Ph.D.

Fermented food research specialist

Ju Ye-jin

Executive Director

Food planning and convergence specialist