He is the eldest son of Lotte Corporation founder Shin Kyuk-ho through his father's second wife, ethnic Japanese woman Shigemitsu Hatsuko (重光初子).
[3] In July 2015, there was a reported reversal in the conflict; Dong-joo and his father flew to Japan, where they attempted to oust Dong-bin and five other executives.
Dong-bin reportedly successfully resisted the ousting, leaving Dong-joo and his father with weaker influence in the company.
[3] In a 2024 interview with Sisa Journal, he openly criticized his brother's leadership and decisions amidst Lotte's poor performance.
By that point, Dong-joo still held significant shares in Lotte's presence in Japan, which gave him some limited influence in the company.
He mentioned that he was on such poor terms with his brother, that they had not spoken in person (other than in shareholder meetings) since January 2020.
[7] By 2024, he reportedly primarily lived in Japan, but often visited South Korea to take care of various duties.