Korean scout chief awarded Sakura Gold Medal
Korea Scout Association President Lee Chan-hee, left, receives the Sakura Gold Medal at the national jamboree of the Scout Association of Japan in Fukuoka, Saturday. Courtesy of Korea Scout Association
Lee Chan-hee, president of the Korea Scout Association and senior legal advisor at Yulchon LLC, was awarded the Sakura Gold Medal at the national jamboree of the Scout Association of Japan in Fukuoka on Saturday.
The medal is the highest honor given by the Japanese Scouts to foreign leaders for exceptional contributions to international scouting.
The Scout Association of Japan said it recognized Lee for revitalizing international exchange programs that had been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and for actively supporting youth engagement on the global stage since taking office in February 2024.
A former Scout throughout his early school years, Lee graduated from Yongmoon High School and earned a law degree from Yonsei University. He passed Korea’s national bar exam in 1998, completed the Judicial Research and Training Institute in 1999 and began practicing law in 2001.
Lee has held several prominent positions, including arbitrator at the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board, president of the Seoul Bar Association and president of the Korean Bar Association. He previously served as vice president of the Korea Scout Association before assuming its top post. He currently serves as senior advisor at Yulchon and chairs the compliance oversight committee at Samsung.
Upon his election as president of the Korea Scout Association last year, Lee emphasized the importance of youth development. “In an era of demographic decline, our youth are the children of us all," he said. "We must commit ourselves to the vital mission of nurturing them with integrity and passion.”