Business Major Becomes President for First Time
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
President-elect Lee Myung-bak has had a unique career in terms of education compared to the present and former presidents in Korea. Lee received a bachelors degree in business management from Korea University.
So far, the nation has seen a total of nine presidents excluding Lee, but not one of them majored in business at university. Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee (1948-60) studied politics at George Washington University in the U.S. and obtained a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton.
Lee's successor, Yun Po-sun (1960-62) graduated with an M.A. in archeology from the University of Edinburgh in Britain. Park Chung-hee, who ruled the country for the longest time from 1963-79, graduated from the Korea Military Academy.
Choi Kyu-hah, who led the country for the shortest time from 1979-80 after the assassination of his predecessor Park, studied English language and literature and politics and administration in Japan and China.
Chun Doo-hwan (1980-88), who was once sentenced to death for ordering the Gwangju massacre, and his successor Roh Tae-woo (1988-1993) graduated from the Korea Military Academy as did Park. Kim Young-sam (1993-98) who introduced an anti-corruption campaign in Korea majored in philosophy at university.
Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003), Korea's first Nobel Prize winner, and incumbent President Roh Moo-hyun studied up to high school but they continued to study as late learners from time to time and gained various honorary degrees from universities. Interestingly, the recent three presidents including Lee graduated from commercial high schools.