Lee Hong-koo

Lee Hong-koo entered diplomacy after two decades teaching at Seoul National University. Educated at Seoul National and Emory universities, he earned a doctorate in political science at Yale. He twice held the unification portfolio, served as ambassador in London from 1991 to 1993, and became prime minister in 1994–1995. He also chaired Korea's bid for the 2002 football World Cup, which Korea and Japan eventually hosted together. ¹

He left the National Assembly to represent President Kim Dae-jung in Washington in 1998–2000. Senator Barbara Boxer had delayed consideration while pursuing a constituent's lawsuit involving Korean corporations. In November 1999 Lee assured her that Korean officials would not interfere with the American proceedings and expressed support for their timely resolution. Boxer entered his letter into the Congressional Record and lifted her objection to Senate action on the treaty. ^{2, 3}

Lee continued working through academic and philanthropic institutions after government service. He chaired the Seoul Forum for International Affairs and served as an Asia Foundation trustee from 2003 to 2013. As the first chair of Friends of The Asia Foundation Korea, he helped build Korean support for development projects elsewhere in Asia, including scholarships for Vietnamese girls. He had participated in the foundation's educational programs during the 1960s. ^{1, 3}