Publication ceremony for <Pine Tree Rooted in Stone> held at the YU Chunma Art Center on the 21st
“Value of life is determined not by ‘gathering’ but by ‘sharing’!” Entrepreneur who put into practice his beliefs for his entire life
‘Social spotlight’ on his life that practiced ‘social responsibility’... Used in regular courses at YU
[July 23, 2021]
“Value of your life is determined not by how you gather, but by how you share!”
Lee Jong-woo, the chairman of Korea Former, who is a successful entrepreneur who overcame hardships in life and his thirst for learning through passion alone, is also a businessman who practiced his belief that life is determined not by ‘gathering’ but by ‘sharing’ throughout his entire life. His autobiography ‘Pine Tree Rooted in Stone’ that details his life was published. The title of his autobiography was named after his nom de plume ‘Songam’, which is translated into Pine Rock.
The publication ceremony of his Chairman Lee’s ‘Pine Tree Rooted in Stone’ was held at the YU Chunma Art Center Convention Hall at 1.30 p.m. on the 21st. At the publication ceremony were present Yeungnam School Foundation Chair Han Jae-sook, YU President CHOI Oe-chool, YU General Alumni Association Chairman Jung Tae-il, as well as former governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do Kim Gwan-yong, former president of YU Lee Sang-cheon, and other noted figures from different parts of society who respected Chairman Lee to congratulate the publication.
Other YU alumni who were unable to be attend due to protective measures against the spread of COVID-19 sent their congratulations through a video. President of the Yang Joon-hyeok Baseball Foundation Yang Joon-hyeok, Head coach of the Indonesian national football team Shin Tae-yong, and ‘Mister Trot’ singer Lee Chan-won also congratulated the publication via video. Scholarship recipients of the Songam Lee Jong-woo Scholarship Foundation also thanked and congratulated Chairman Lee.
Chairman Lee was born in Japan in 1938 and returned to Gimcheon, Korea in 1946 after Korea gained independence, but soon lived through the Korean War spending his youth in pain and poverty. He did not receive official education, but had an undying passion for learning, and after being discharged from the Air Force and working as a civilian employee for the military in 1946, he enrolled at the YU College of Mechanical Engineering at the late age of 27. He packed two meals in the morning where he would eat one at work on the military base and the second one for dinner at school, and graduated after four years while working in the day and studying at night.
Chairman Lee said, “It was a very hard time financially that I had trouble coming up with tuition. Whenever I think about my wife and children back then, it always pierces my heart. I thought a lot about whether I was being too selfish as the head of the family.” He added, “I was sorry to my children and I am filled with gratitude toward my wife who stood fast and protected our family. It was possible to publish this autobiography because of my wife and children who always supported me.” He said that the life he made was all thanks to his family
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Chairman Lee founded Korea Former, which is a company that specializes in the production of lightweight steel frames and partition materials, back in 1977 and wrote his own story of success. He ceaselessly conducted research and technological development with the resolve that ‘though there may be failure, I will never give up’ and introduced new technologies in Korea to lead the localization of construction materials and the development of the industry. In the 1980s, his business took off by winning bids for the construction of the 63 Building, which was the tallest building in Asia at the time, as well as the LG Twin Tower building in Yeouido. Considering how hard his life was, it would seem natural for him to enjoy some luxury for himself, but even to this day, he drives a 10-year-old mid-sized car and it appears that he will never give up on the conviction that he had since he was young.
“I never wanted to ride in a car driven by a chauffeur. I’m more comfortable and used to commuting driving myself or using the subway. I’m fine with living with just the amount I need. I am just thankful that my wife and children understands me.”
But unlike being strict on himself, he is very generous when it comes to 'sharing.’ In 2019, he made news by donating real estate worth 5 billion KRW to his alma mater, YU. While serving as a director for the Yeungnam School Foundation, he witnessed the difficulties for renovating the Science Library, and then decided to donate a large sum as development funds for renovation costs. The YU Science Library has completed renovations and is preparing to welcome students
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Chairman Lee also founded the ‘Songam Scholarship Association’ at YU in 2002 to help his juniors having difficulties with studies, where he has donated over 1.2 billion KRW in scholarships up to now. Outside of YU, he established the Songam Lee Jong-woo Scholarship Foundation where he delivered scholarship funds for high schools and colleges around the nation to help foster talented human resources. He was recognized for his contributions to the development of education in the Republic of Korea and last year, he received the honor of being awarded the ’Order of Civil Merit, Peony Medal’ from the government.
A 260-page book is no way near enough to contain the entire life of Chairman Lee. But his life of practicing responsibility and a lifetime of sharing as a businessman seems more than sufficient to receive the limelight from society.
“Having the company create profits and grow is in itself fulfilling as an entrepreneur. But the efforts of an entrepreneur should contribute to the nation as well. Creating jobs, contributing to the development of the local and national economy, and sharing the value created with the society you live in as a social responsibility is much more important.”
Perhaps it is only natural for Chairman Lee who has such convictions to return the fruits of his success to society and to practice sharing. He says that he will continue to practice the act of sharing for the rest of his life just as he has done so for his past 80 years. The publication of his autobiography ‘Pine Tree Rooted in Stone’ might actually be a new declaration for the live of sharing that he will live in the future, rather than being an organization of his life so far.
YU President CHOI Oe-chool attended the publication ceremony and stated in his congratulatory address, “I thought a lot while reading Chairman Lee Jong-woo’s autobiography. It was especially evident that the records of his life contained the entire history of the Republic of Korea. Korea, which was at one point the poorest country in the world, has now become a developed nation and is leading the development of developing countries, and his life is in close contact with it. I will do my best in education so that the spirit of ‘sharing, serving and creating’ that is imbued in the history of the Republic of Korea and the life of Chairman Lee can be passed on to the future generation/”
Meanwhile, YU plans to use Chairman Lee’s autobiography in regular curricular classes. It aims at taking a look at the life of Chairman Lee who is a senior of YU and a socially respected businessman and to foster the second and third Lee Jong-woos by teaching his philosophy on life to his juniors.
