Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun has been named one of the Financial Times’ top 50 women in world business, the only Korean who made it to the list, the British newspaper announced on Wednesday.

Hyun ranked 48th on the list in recognition of her efforts to run one of the biggest conglomerates in Korea after she was unexpectedly catapulted to the top office of Hyundai when her husband, Chung Mon-hun, committed suicide in 2003.

“Hyun has been a steadying force for Hyundai Group and has worked to expand its international reach,” the paper said in a profile piece on Hyun.

The top 50 was selected by an expert jury, whose choices were based on information on the executives’ performance and durability.

This year, Irene Rosenfeld, chief executive of Kraft Foods, took the No. 1 spot, displacing Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo, who ranked third this year after having been judged the top female business leader in 2009 and 2010.

(insight@heraldcorp.com)