About
Ark Maritime Services was founded in November, 2013 and started service under the name of "ARK" from January 2019, by a team of maritime industry specialists, bringing together more than 80 years of collective experience in newbuildings for all types of vessel, contracting more than 150 vessels.
Our clients are world renowned private and publicly listed ship owners, private equity fund, and all major Korean shipyards. In keeping with our past honors and traditions, we continue to serve our clients with integrity.
Team
James Cho, Managing Partner
With over 33 years in the shipping and shipbuilding industry, James has deep expertise in newbuildings and finance. Prior to founding Ark Maritime, he was Partner at MJLF for 10 years and spent 12 years at Samsung Heavy Industries and Samsung Corp. He has handled numerous commercial vessel transactions, including tankers, container ships, bulkers, gas carriers, and shuttle tankers, building long-standing ties with global shipowners and shipyards. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Korea University and an MBA in Finance from George Washington University, USA.
YK Jang, Executive Advisor
YK has over 40 years of shipbuilding experience. He spent nearly three decades at DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering), where he served as Head of Ship Sales and CEO of the Mangalia Shipyard in Romania. In 2016, he became CEO of STX Offshore & Shipbuilding (later K Shipbuilding), leading its restructuring and revival. At Ark Maritime, he provides strategic guidance and leverages his strong shipyard relationships to support clients worldwide. YK holds a B.S. in Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering from Seoul National University.
Brian Kim, Partner
Brian brings 29 years of maritime experience. Before co-founding Ark Maritime, he worked 2 years at MJLF and 17 years at Samsung Heavy Industries, managing both commercial and technical projects. He has been especially active in tanker and gas carrier newbuildings, working with leading energy companies and shipowners in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Boston University, USA.
Will Suh
Will has over 17 years of experience in shipping & shipbuilding industry. Prior to joining Ark Maritime, he spent 11 years at Samsung Heavy Ind., followed by 4 years as a shipbroker in the Korean shipping sector. As an active shipbroker focusing mainly on S&P and newbuilding, he built up a strong network throughout Far East as well as in the local market. Will holds a MBA from Rotterdam School of Management, Netherlands.
Scott Cho
Scott joined Ark Maritime in 2020 and brings over 5 years of shipbroking experience. He focuses on research, project management, and chartering support for newbuilding and S&P activities. With a B.A. in Psychology from George Washington University, USA, he applies strong analytical and organizational skills to coordinate client–shipyard communications and track market trends.