Lee Myung-bak has been labeled a construction boss gone green, a hero of the Republic of Korea's (ROK) salarymen for his rags-to-riches rise. His foes call him a corrupt tycoon.
Now, he is the ROK president-elect.
Korean TV viewers know Lee's life story from two hit dramas highlighting the business heroes who rebuilt the economy out of the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Lee, 66, the first businessman-turned-politician to win the ROK presidency, was born in poverty. He picked garbage off the streets of Seoul to help pay his way through university.
The man who served a brief stint in prison for opposing the country's then military rulers joined Hyundai Engineering and Construction when it was just an upstart builder scrambling for work.
He earned his bosses' respect by fighting off bandits at a Hyundai construction site in Malaysia.
By the age of 36 he was its chief executive, turning it into one of the country's biggest construction companies. He helped lay the asphalt and erect skyscrapers as the ROK surged to become one of Asia's economic tigers.
When he became mayor of Seoul many years later, he tore down some of those structures, calling them mistakes.
With much fanfare, Lee ordered the destruction of an elevated highway running though the heart of Seoul. He had his engineers uncover a stream buried underneath and turn it into a water park.
The Cheonggye stream park has been visited by more than the nation's entire population of 50 million people since it was opened two years ago.
He won over many of the capital's residents with this project, by throwing open City Hall plaza for free concerts and skating in winter, and by knocking a few minutes off their commutes by enforcing new bus lanes.
A father of four, Lee jokes about his long arms and narrow eyes and is quick with a smile. He speaks with a confident tone that some in the country see as arrogant.
Lee has made a lot of money along the way. The president-elect denies any wrongdoing but his opponents have charged him with hiding assets and operating shady businesses.
Lee, a stickler for details, married his wife on his birthday, saying that way he would never forget his anniversary.
As it turned out, it is also the day he was elected president.
Hu sends congratulations
Chinese President Hu Jintao yesterday sent a message of congratulations to Lee for his election victory.
Thanks to the joint efforts of both countries, China-ROK relations have witnessed overall and in-depth development and scored rich achievements since the establishment of diplomatic ties 15 years ago, Hu said.
Hu expressed his will to work with Lee to enhance good neighborly and friendly relations between the two countries.
China yesterday also expressed hopes that the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula will be maintained.
"China is willing to develop friendly cooperation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and at the same time maintain the comprehensive and cooperative partnership with the ROK," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular news conference.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article