Biography of the Month

Each month, the Sejong Society of will profile an influential Korean politician, business mogul, or cultural icon. Profiles will be those from Korea's past and present to help future U.S. policymakers understand key players on the Korean Peninsula. 
 
Lee Myung-Bak (이명박)



Lee Myung-Bak is commonly seen as an exemplary, self-made entrepreneur. He was born into a very poor family in Osaka, Japan on December 19, 1941, and later moved to Pohang, Republic of Korea where he spent the latter half of his childhood years. Born on December 19, 1941 in Osaka, Japan, Mr. Lee is a former mayor of Seoul, South Korea and is considered a major contender to succeed Roh Moo-hyun as president. He was known for his innovative policy initiatives, and especially for the restoration of Cheonggyecheon stream. He is regarded as a conservative as a member of the Grand National Party (GNP), and has called for South Korea to take a harder stance on North Korea, and for a greater emphasis on free market solutions.
Rising Star at Hyundai

Candidate Lee professional career began when he joined Hyundai Construction company in 1965 as a fresh recruit. His first tasks included the construction of the Pattani-Narathiwat Highway in Thailand, and Gyeongbu Highway in Korea. These highways became the backbone of economic development in each respective countries. He also led Hyundai's drive to modernize Korean housing style planning and building apartment complexes. The apartments indeed became a powerful agent of change by setting a whole new standard of living including sanitation, access to basic infrastructure, and land efficiency. At age 37, Lee Myung-Bak was appointed CEO of Hyundai Construction and maintained his leadership role in the corporation for 17 years. In recognition of his excellence in carrying out these tasks, Mr. Lee became a board member in five years, and CEO in just twelve years.

As CEO of Hyundai Construction, Mr. Lee oversaw the process of its automobile business, heavy industry, and shipbuilding units all spinning off into Hyundai Motors, Hyundai Heavy Industry, and Hyundai Shipbuilding respectively. Lee Myung Bak was involved in their business affairs from the outset, and contributed to their growth to a considerable extent. Afterwards, Lee held CEO positions at ten different Hyundai affiliates, including Hyundai Engineering, Incheon Steel, and among others. By the time he left Hyundai, South Korea's largest business conglomerate has become a world-class business concern with 168,000 employees. When he started working for Hyundai, South Korea's per capita GDP was only US$110, but it rose to US$7,500 when he left.

Mayor of Seoul and
Restoring the Cheonggyecheon


Mr. Lee left Hyundai in 1992, and was elected a member of the National Assembly for two consecutive terms before becoming Mayor of Seoul in 2002. Restoration of the Cheonggeycheon, one of his cardinal achievements, brought back a 6.5 kilometer (4 miles) stream hidden under concrete layer for 40 years, reviving the ecosystem and enlivening the city center. Cheonggyecheon, which means "clear valley stream," has been a mirror of Seoul since the nation's capital first moved there in 1394. During the Chosun Dynasty (1390-1910), the Cheonggyecheon was a prime site for laundry, gossip, and kids at play. As early as 1760, the government began landscaping it, employing 200,000 men to build stone embankments along the stream to prevent floods. As Seoul expanded, the water grew foul, becoming little more than an open sewer after the Korean War, when refugees built shantytowns along its banks. After South Korea's development kicked into gear, authorities were quick to hide the stream with the highway, a symbol of Seoul's rush to modernize regardless of the environmental cost. "Under the highway, the area was filthy, and population and busienss decreased," said Seoul Vice-Mayor Cheong Seok-Hyo, who led the stream project in its later stages. "There was a need to change the environment totally."

For 11 months after the Cheonggyecheon's restoration, 30 million people have visited the site, which served as a turning point to reinvigorate the city's economy. The project was not without opposition, however, especially from interest groups of all kinds who had been making their living on and around the covering pavement. Lee successfully set out to forge a consensus with 220,000 business owners, residents, and street vendors, and through more than 4,000 dialogue sessions. Such an effort left a case study for conflict resolution in sustainable urban development. The greening of Seoul has ramifications beyond the mountains that ring the city. If the concrete jungle of Seoul can shift into clean, sustainable urban development, then there's hope that other messy, environmentally challenged Asian cities like Beijing, Bombay, and Jakarta can do the same. The South Korean capital's example could be especially instructive for its fellow Asian Tiger Hong Kong, where short-sighted political leadership has allowed the environment to degrade alarmingly.

Mayor Lee's effort was recognized by the 2005 Venice Biennale 9th International Architecture Exhibition, which gave the Cheonggyecheon project "The Best Public Administration Award." Also in 2005, fDi Magazine, a monthly magazine owned by the Financial Times focusing on direct investment, prized Lee Myung Bak as the "Personality of the Year 2005." The editor of the magazine said that as Mayor, Mr. Lee played a key role in the restructuring of the city's financial system, and the easing of regulations related to foreign investment. The editor went on to say that his efforts to make Seoul a better place to live in has worked in a way to make it a more business-friendly city as well.
The Gyeongbu Canal and the “747” Plan




At the start of 2007, the former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak of the Grand National Party was regarded as the most popular prospective presidential candidate. Lee is against reforming the constitution and introducing re-election. Former GNP chairwoman Park Geun-hye is also considered as a possible candidate. On May 10, 2007, Lee Myung-bak officially launched his candidacy, saying, "I want to be the chief executive officer for the country, not its most powerful person. I also wish to become a president who faithfully performs his duty well."

As candidate for the presidency, Mr. Lee hopes to recreate the Cheonggycheon miracle by pledging to create a Gyeongbu canal project with Dutch organizations, who are known for their technical expertise in building waterways.

In Ocotber 2006, Mr. Lee proposed a construction of a cross-country canal to connect South Korea's major northern and southern rivers (from Seoul to Busan). Mr. Lee stressed that the canal could help cut logistics costs by approximately one-third and promoet balanced regional development. Cho Won-Cheol, a professor at Yonsei University who belongs to Mr. Lee's Gyeongbu canal advisory group stated, "The waterway will be 3,100 kilometers (1,926 miles) long, and consist of 17 routes. It will take four years to build, and will cost 14.1 trillion won (US$15.2 trillion). Professor Cheon Taek-Soo of the Academy of Korean Studies who is also member of the advisory group stated, "Once the Gyeongbu canal is constructed, 15 sightseeing areas will be established which can expedite tourist development."

Mr. Lee also proposed what he calls a "747" plan, which he pledges to achieve seven percent economic growth, increase in the GDP per capita income to $40,000, and to make the nation the seventh largest economy in the world (currently South Korea stands at the 11th largest trading economy).

In a May 17, 2007 poll published by the Munhwa Ilbo newspaper, Lee Myung-bak, is maintaining his lead with support of around 48.9 percent, Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the GNP, ranked second with 22.4 percent, followed by the independent Sohn Hak-kyu with 4.6 percent. Sohn, a former governor of Gyeonggi Province, bolted from the GNP earlier this year.