By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Despite Samsung's mounting slush fund scandal, Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee has been voted the country's No. 1 respected business leader, a survey said Thursday.
In a Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) poll of 500 respondents, including ordinary citizens, college professors and business executives, an overwhelming 69.8 percent voted for 65-year-old Lee, who has steered Korea's mega corporation for the past two decades.
LG Chairman Koo Bon-moo was seated No. 2 with 6.8 percent, followed by Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo and Chung Mong-joon, an advisor to Hyundai Heavy Industries, with less than 5 percent each.
In a separate poll asking the same question, but open to any businessmen whether alive or deceased, 34.1 percent selected the late founder of Hyundai Group Chung Ju-yung, who is lauded for his contribution to the country's economic growth.
Following closely behind, Samsung's Lee took second place with 29.3 percent. After him, the late Yuhan Corporation Chairman Yoo Il-han, the late founder and chairman of Samsung Group Lee Byung-chul, the former chairman of Daewoo Group Kim Woo-choong and POSCO Chairman Lee Ku-taek came next.
The poll asked respondents to rate the business leaders in eight different categories, some including leadership, global management, overseas expansion and economic contribution, social responsibility and creativity.
In the majority of categories, scholars overall gave high ratings to the Hyundai founder, but ordinary citizens and business executives prized the Samsung chairman or the group's founder, indicating that the general public attributes the country's economic development to Samsung.
When asked abut the most important business goal leaders should go after, a majority of respondents answered reaping benefits should be their primary objective. Creating jobs and giving back to the society came next, demonstrating the lackluster public awareness of social responsibility.
With regards to the survey, which was conducted after the Samsung scandal broke, an official of the KCCI said, ``The results prove that the public values the company's crucial part in the nation's economy, rather than the truth behind the case.''
Samsung has been engulfed in a massive scandal since last month when its former top legal affairs official said Chairman Lee masterminded a campaign to stash slush funds to bribe prosecutors, judges and lawmakers.