Gmarket CEO James Jang Aims to Reclaim Market Lead with AI, Beauty and 'G-Mall'
Creatrip Team
a month ago
James Jang (Korean name Jang Seung-hwan), who once studied Gmarket’s Dongtan logistics center as a young e‑commerce founder, returned as CEO and is pushing heavy tech investment to prepare Gmarket for the AI era. Since his appointment, H1 transaction value rose 14%, average monthly spend per customer rose 12%, and seller count increased. Jang says Gmarket must fix past “tech debt” (legacy technical shortcomings) and build data-linked infrastructure so Gmarket can serve many AI shopping agents as a kind of wholesaler. He argues open-market platforms will have an advantage in AI commerce because they offer greater product variety and data, and Gmarket’s commission‑based revenue model is more “agent‑friendly” than ad‑dependent rivals. Strategic initiatives include boosting beauty categories and launching “G‑Mall” (internal code name) — a Gmarket‑guaranteed curation with seller assurance — to attract brands and enhance customer experience. Jang prioritizes long‑term tech and ecosystem investment over near‑term IPO plans, aiming to restore Gmarket to a market leader that future entrepreneurs study and emulate.
