15 Facts About Lee Hong-koo

Lee Hong-koo is the 15th generation descendant of Yi Jeon, Prince Yeongsan who is the son of King Seongjong of Joseon.

Lee Hong-koo was born in what was then the Yeoyu-ri, Koyang District, Gyeonggi Province, in Japanese Korea.

In 1955, Lee entered Emory University in the United States majoring in political science, and graduated in 1959.

Lee Hong-koo was an adjunct professor at Emory University from 1964 until 1968.

Lee Hong-koo was awarded an honorary doctorate by Emory University in 1978.

In 1968 or 1969, Lee Hong-koo returned to Korea to serve as professor of political science at Korea's top university, Seoul National University through 1973, and again served in this capacity after his return from Harvard circa 1974.

Lee Hong-koo served as professor at SNU until his appointment as a government minister in 1988.

Lee Hong-koo rose quickly in 1996, becoming a member of the Executive Committee of the New Korea party, and then the leader of the party itself.

Lee Hong-koo was, at this time, widely considered a possible successor to President Kim Young-Sam.

In 1995 and early 1996, Lee Hong-koo served as chairman of the World Cup Bidding Committee, which successfully lobbied for South Korea to co-host the World Cup in 2002.

In December 1996, after the government quickly forced through a revised labor law despite widespread opposition across the country, Lee Hong-Koo resigned from his top leadership position in the New Korea Party but remained in the party.

Lee Hong-koo wrote articles for the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper over several years.

In 2011, the left-wing academic Chin Jung-kwon caused a small sensation by apparently "stalking" Lee Hong-koo by posting his own articles in Hankyoreh, a progressive South Korean daily, on the same day as Lee Hong-koo's columns were posted.

Lee Hong-koo followed Lee's columns for 10 consecutive postings up to October 14,2011.

Chin's columns were posted about 20 hours later on the same day as Lee Hong-koo's columns were posted.