Chairman Lee Pil-woo of Seoul National University’s Advanced Center for Administrative Development Alumni (SNU-ACADA)

 serves concurrently as the chairman of the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul. 

Chairman Lee   of Seoul National University’s Advanced Center for Administrative Development Alumni (SNU-ACADA) has recently been reelected chairman of the Central Fraternity Association of Gyeongju Lee Genealogy representing 3.5 million clan members in recognition of his contributions to the development and promotion of the genealogy.

In particular, SNU-ACADA Chairman Lee lent a helping hand to former president Lee Myung-bak, also a member of the Gyeongju Lee clan, by handling a flood of petitions from members of the genealogy in lieu of the president so that Lee could carry out his bestowed duties as the incumbent Chief Executive.

“In accordance with the teachings of Mencius, the president should perform the tasks assigned, and children also have to do their filial duties. The foremost value of the times is a return to principles, so if a nation and individuals do the right things, social order and success may be obtained,” he said. 

Lee stressed “a return to principles” while commenting on the political fallout stemming from the sinking of the ferry Sewol that took more than 300 people lives. As demonstrated by the accident, the state and individuals failed to play their own roles, triggering the man-made disaster and endangering the state. 

Lee’s “return to principles” may be construed as the most precious value of this age. He also made a point that leaders should conduct themselves uprightly with a strong sense of mission.

Lee, in the capacity of the SNU-ACADA chairman, has carried out diverse projects and activities such as offering scholarships, publishing the alumni association’s periodical, touring industrial complexes, participating in a volunteer program to help the needy, and organizing the “Breakfast Forum on State Affairs” series and the ACADA Fraternity Night/Seoul National University’s Advanced Center for Administrative Development Awards ceremony. In particular, Lee hosted the “Breakfast Forum on State Affairs” series, inviting foreign ambassadors to Korea from the United States, Russia, and Japan, which have pledged to solidify economic cooperation and closer ties with Korea.  

When sponsoring such gatherings, the SNU-ACADA chairman has made a point that leaders should have integrity, take infinite responsibility to the state, put into practice serving others, and spearhead things the state has yet to do.

Shared growth, one of the national agendas of former president Lee Myung-bak, was a brainchild of Lee’s. When questioned about a state task on how to make the people happy during his meeting with former prime minister Chung Woon-chan, Chairman Lee proposed a national agenda of ensuring that all the people live a life of happiness — shared growth — serving as an occasion that leads to the establishment of the National Commission for Corporate Partnership (NCCP) after obtaining approval from the president.   

Shared growth has also become one of the national policy agendas under the Park Geun-hye government. The government’s efforts to promote shared growth between large- and small-sized companies have led to the former’s support to the latter in the form of money and technology. 

Lee’s Reelection as Chairman of the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul

Chairman of the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul has moved Chairman Lee’s office into a four-story structure, owned by himself in Nonhyeon-dong, southeastern Seoul. Parts of the building are leased free of charges, to the Committee for Sending Books to Overseas Korean Expatriates and the National Seniors Committee as well as to a resting space for notables in political and academic circles who hail from Chuncheongbuk-do. Lee makes it a rule to provide warm hospitality to former ministers, parliamentarians, alumni, and people from his hometown who visit the resting space by exchanging views with the visitors and giving them gifts.   

Many big shots, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, hail from Chungcheongbuk-do, the province in which Chairman Lee of the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul was born. Lee pledged to operate the association the way U.N. Sec.-Gen. Ban manages the international organization with a global leadership. 

Lee was unanimously reelected chairman of the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul some time ago in recognition of his devotion to the development of the association. He has contributed a combined 1.5 billion won to the association while serving as the chairman for eight years. Lee has earned a reputation because of his achievements for the association since its establishment.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, hails from 

Chungcheongbuk-do, the province in which Chairman Lee of the 

Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul was born. 

After being reelected as the chairman of the assocation, Lee said he will 

operate the association the way U.N. Sec.-Gen. Ban manages the 

international organization with a global leadership. 

Chairman Lee’s Huge Financial Support to His Hometown

Lee has given away a 20 kg bag of rice to each of the 700 to 1,000 dignitaries and acquaintances in Seoul who hail from Chungcheongbuk-do, each year. He has presented scholarships to scores of students praised for their filial piety. Some of the scholarship recipients serve as ranking officials in public organizations such as courts, prosecution offices, police, and tax authorities as well as large-sized corporations. No other chairman of the association could have put into practice the tenets of sharing through volunteering activities and scholarships as much as Lee. 

Lee believes in lifetime learning. He is a native of Gyerong-ni, Chupungryeong-myeon, Yeongdong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. At seven, he finished learning a thousand Chinese characters from the Chinese literary classic Zhouyi from his father. He still keeps abreast of the latest international developments by reading Chinese literature such as Confucian books as well as listening CNN and NHK news programs. 

Chairman Lee’s a fluent English speaker. Lee gave a speech in English before the U.S. House of Representatives while visiting the United States as a member of the National Defense Committee delegation of the 11th National Assembly, taking his colleagues and delegates by surprise. None of his colleagues knew he studied at a U.S. intelligence school for four years while serving his military duty.

Chairman Lee is reputed to be an honest businessman. The chairman is credited with ordering his female clerk to not dodge a penny of tax while running Dongil Group for 40 years, which he has since disposed of. He sticks to his entrepreneurial motto of not flirting with greed. 

Lee had relationships with former presidents, from South Korea’s first elected president Rhee Syng-man to former president Lee Myung-bak. Lee did not give in to greed while maintaining good ties with former president Chun Doo-hwan. At that time, he refused a request from Cheong Wa Dae to take over a large-sized company, because he’d devoted himself to running only the Dongil Group. Lee still constrains greed and maintains self-satisfaction as he did before. 

Chairman Lee Pil-woo of the Central Fraternity Association of Gyeongju Lee Genealogy poses with 

his clan association members, including former president Lee Myung-bak. 

Lee’s Support to Wine Korea in His Hometown

Chairman Lee is now nurturing Wine Korea, a Yeongdong-based wine maker, which once caused a sensation by overtaking a French wine maker in a competition, into a world-class company. His acquisition of the wine maker, struggling with losses, was done to provide support to grape growers in his hometown of Yeongdong, Okcheon, and Boeun. Lee uses wine from his company as gifts. Thanks to his support, the wine company has made strides and received government awards. 

Lee has set aside 10 billion won as a fund to give a helping hand to farmers and companies in his hometown suffering from a shortage of money. His love for his hometown is noteworthy. He spends most of his free time there at his villa, Yongchuwon.

He doles out the “99 Wisdoms to Make Life a Success,” which he published some time ago, to university students and other youth as well as people in his hometown and his clan members. The book contains Lee’s career, life philosophy, and success stories of his exemplary life. The book about mentoring for success has enjoyed popularity among his clan members, including former president Lee Myung-bak, who said he read the book.

Lee, in old age, gets up in the morning and swims for more than three hours as if he is in his 50s. Lee seems to have the right stuff to be a successful businessman and a role model for youth.