Lee Myung-bak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Myung-bak
GOM
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이명박
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Official portrait, 2008
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| 10th President of South Korea | |
| In office 25 February 2008 – 24 February 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Han Seung-soo Chung Un-chan Kim Hwang-sik |
| Preceded by | Roh Moo-hyun |
| Succeeded by | Park Geun-hye |
| Mayor of Seoul | |
| In office 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Goh Kun |
| Succeeded by | Oh Se-hoon |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 30 May 1996 – 21 February 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Lee Jong-chan |
| Succeeded by | Roh Moo-hyun |
| Constituency | Jongno (Seoul) |
| In office 30 May 1992 – 29 May 1996 |
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| Constituency | Proportional representation |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 December 1941 Osaka, Japan |
| Political party | Independent (2017–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Saenuri (until 2017) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Korea University (BBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
이명박
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| Hanja |
李明博
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| Revised Romanization | I Myeongbak |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Myŏngbak |
| Art name | |
| Hangul |
일송
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| Hanja |
一松
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| Revised Romanization | Ilsong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ilsong |
Lee Myung-bak (born 19 December 1941) is a South Korean politician and businessman. People often call him by his initials, MB. He served as the 10th president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before becoming president, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction. He also served as the mayor of Seoul from 2002 to 2006.
Lee is married to Kim Yoon-ok. They have three daughters and one son. His older brother, Lee Sang-deuk, was also a politician in South Korea. Lee is a Christian and attends Somang Presbyterian Church. He graduated from Korea University. He also received an honorary degree from Paris Diderot University in 2011.
As president, Lee changed South Korea's approach to North Korea. He preferred a stronger strategy due to increased actions from the North. However, he supported talks with Russia, China, and Japan. Under his leadership, South Korea became more visible and important globally. This led to Seoul hosting the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit. He finished his five-year term on 24 February 2013. Park Geun-hye became the next president.
In 2018, Lee Myung-bak faced legal issues related to his time as president. He denied the accusations. In 2020, the Korean Supreme Court upheld a sentence against him. However, in December 2022, President Yoon Suk-yeol gave Lee a special pardon. This cancelled the rest of his sentence.
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Lee Myung-bak's Early Life and School
Lee Myung-bak was born on 19 December 1941, in Osaka, Japan. His parents had moved to Japan in 1929. This was nineteen years after Japan took control of Korea. Lee's father, Lee Chung-u, worked as a farm laborer. His mother, Chae Taewon, was a housewife. Lee was the fifth of seven children in his family.
Returning to Korea and Early Challenges
In 1945, after World War II ended, his family returned to his father's hometown. This town was Pohang, in Gyeongsangbuk-do. It was then a part of the Korean Peninsula occupied by America. Lee's family lost all their belongings during their journey. They barely survived a shipwreck near Tsushima Island. Lee also saw his older sister and a younger brother die. They were killed during the bombing of Pohang in the Korean War.
Education and Student Leadership
Lee attended night school at Dongji Commercial High School in Pohang. He received a scholarship to help him study. A year after graduating, Lee was accepted into Korea University. In 1964, during his third year, Lee was chosen as the president of the student council. That year, he joined student protests. These protests were against President Park Chung Hee's talks with Japan. Lee was accused of planning a rebellion. He was sentenced to three years in prison and five years of probation. He served less than three months in Seodaemun Prison in Seoul.
In his autobiography, Lee wrote that he was excused from military service. This was because he had a lung condition called acute bronchiectasis.
Lee Myung-bak's Business Career
In 1965, Lee started working at Hyundai Construction. This company won Korea's first overseas construction project. It was a $5.2 million contract to build a highway in Thailand. Soon after he was hired, Lee went to Thailand for the project. The project was successfully finished in March 1968. Lee then returned to Korea. He was put in charge of Hyundai's heavy machinery plant in Seoul.
The "Raging Bulldozer" at Hyundai
During his thirty years with the Hyundai Group, Lee earned a nickname: "Raging Bulldozer." Once, he completely took apart a broken bulldozer. He wanted to understand how it worked and fix it. He even drove another bulldozer over it.
Lee became a company director at just 29 years old. This was only five years after he joined Hyundai. He later became the CEO at age 35. This made him Korea's youngest CEO ever. In 1988, he was named chairman of Hyundai Construction at 47.
When he started at Hyundai in 1965, the company had 90 employees. When he left 27 years later, it had over 160,000. After the highway in Thailand was built, Korea's construction industry looked for new markets. They focused on countries like Vietnam and those in the Middle East. Hyundai Construction completed big international projects. These included the Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard and the Jubail Industrial Harbor Projects in Saudi Arabia. These projects helped Korea overcome a national crisis caused by the oil shock.
Lee Myung-bak's Early Political Career
In 1992, Lee left his business career to enter politics. He had worked at Hyundai for 27 years. He joined the Democratic Liberal Party. He was elected as a member of the 14th Korean National Assembly. He said he ran for office because he wanted to make a big difference, like Mikhail Gorbachev did. In 1995, he ran for mayor of Seoul but did not win the primary election.
Serving in the National Assembly
In 1996, Lee was reelected to the Korean National Assembly. He represented Jongno-gu in Seoul. One of his opponents was Roh Moo-hyun, who later became president. In 1999, Lee was a visiting scholar at George Washington University.
Lee resigned from the National Assembly in 1998. He was later fined for breaking election law. After his resignation, Roh Moo-hyun was elected as his successor in a special election.
Becoming Mayor of Seoul
In 2002, Lee ran for mayor of Seoul and won. As mayor, Lee started several important projects. He oversaw the restoration of the Cheonggyecheon stream. He also helped create Seoul Forest and opened Seoul Forest Park. He built a grassy field in front of Seoul City Hall. He also added rapid transit buses to the city's transportation system. His administration changed the area around Seoul City Hall. It went from a concrete traffic circle to a public lawn for gatherings.
Lee Myung-bak's Presidential Election Campaign
On 10 May 2007, Lee announced he wanted to be the presidential candidate for the Grand National Party (GNP). On 20 August 2007, he won the GNP's primary election. This made him the party's choice for the 2007 South Korean presidential election. During the primary, there were questions about land he owned. However, investigations found no wrongdoing. In December 2007, just before the election, Lee said he would donate all his assets to society.
Lee's "747 Plan" for Korea
Lee's goals were part of his "747 Plan". This plan aimed for 7% annual growth in the economy. It also aimed for $40,000 income per person. He wanted to make Korea the world's seventh largest economy. A key part of his plan was the Grand Korean Waterway project. This project would connect Busan to Seoul by water. He believed it would help the economy. Some opponents worried about the cost and environmental impact.
New Approach to North Korea
Lee also announced a new plan for North Korea. He wanted to "engage" North Korea through investments. He promised to create a group to discuss economic ties. This group would have subcommittees for economy, education, finance, and more. He also wanted a $40 billion cooperation fund. He called for an aid office in North Korea. This would separate humanitarian aid from nuclear talks.
His foreign policy was called MB Doctrine. It focused on engaging North Korea and strengthening the alliance with the United States.
Lee Myung-bak's Presidency (2008–2013)
As president, Lee took an active approach to foreign policy. He started initiatives like Green Korea and Global Korea. He often visited other countries and invited foreign leaders to Korea. In 2009 alone, he visited 14 countries and attended many summits.
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Hosting the G-20 Summit
Because of his efforts, Seoul was chosen to host the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit in November 2010. This was a historic moment. South Korea became the first country outside the G8 to lead this important forum. At the Toronto summit, President Lee gained support for his ideas. These ideas included creating global financial safety nets and solving development issues. At the G-20 Summit in Seoul, this led to the agreement on the Seoul Development Consensus.
South Korea's Global Role
Under his leadership, South Korea joined the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). This group includes countries that provide most of the world's aid to poorer nations. South Korea is the only member that has gone from receiving aid to giving aid.
President Lee's diplomatic work also led to a big agreement. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and the UAE agreed to build a $20 billion nuclear power plant. This happened during his visit to the UAE in 2009.
Lee also held meetings with leaders from the United States, Japan, and China. They discussed issues related to North Korea. After the ROKS Cheonan sinking, G-8 leaders spoke out against North Korea. President Lee also brought the Cheonan incident to the attention of the Asia-Europe Meeting in 2010. This helped gain support for South Korea's stance on North Korea's nuclear issues.
During Lee's time as president, South Korea also signed a free trade agreement with the European Union. This agreement took effect on 1 July 2011.
He finished his five-year term on 24 February 2013. Park Geun-hye then became president.
Awards and Honors
Lee Myung-bak has received several important awards and honors.
Awards from South Korea
South Korea (2013)
Recipient of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa
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Awards from Other Countries
Peru (2008)
Grand Cross of Order of the Sun of Peru
Kazakhstan (2009)
Recipient of the Order of the Golden Eagle
Italy (2009)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
United Arab Emirates (2011)
Recipient of the Order of Zayed
Denmark (2011)
Recipient of the Order of the Elephant
Sweden (2012)
Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim
Indonesia (2012)
Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st class
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Images for kids
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Lee Myung-bak's signature
