[W Frontier] Who Is CEO Lee Yugyeong's Mentor?..."Parents' Philosophy Is the Strength to Overcome Adversity"

Parents Raising Seven Siblings in Jindo, Jeonnam
All Attend University in Seoul Without Gender Discrimination
"Always Trust and Support"... Fostering Independence and Self-Reliance

CEO Lee Yugyeong of N2B is being interviewed on the 26th at N2B in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@

Lee Yoo-kyung, CEO of N2B, regards her greatest mentors as her ‘parents.’ Her parents, who had seven children in Jindo, Jeollanam-do, sent all their children to universities in Seoul despite difficult circumstances. They borrowed money from neighbors to cover university entrance fees. They showed a passion for education regardless of whether the child was a son or a daughter.

As the third child among two sons and five daughters, Lee had two older brothers. She said, "Although the island village had a strong male-preference mindset, our parents did not make the daughters sacrifice for the sons." The neighbors who once criticized them for ‘doing things beyond their means’ now look upon Lee’s family with pride after more than 30 years have passed.

There was a condition for sending them to universities in Seoul: each of the seven had to earn their own tuition fees. Retaking exams was not allowed either. This applied equally to sons and daughters. Naturally, this fostered independence and self-reliance. Lee said, "Our parents always believed in us, supported us, and encouraged us," adding, "Their philosophy became the strength to overcome the hardships encountered in life."

Mentors of Lee Yu-gyeong, CEO of N2B, her parents. A photo of her late father Lee Byeong-il (left) during his lifetime and her mother Park Du-yeop.

Until middle school, Lee consistently ranked first or second in her class, but she never forgot the time she transferred to a high school in Gwangju and ranked 11th in her class. "I thought I would naturally be first or second if I studied like I did in middle school. It was a culture shock for me." However, she did not give up, renewed her determination, and graduated as the third in her school.

After entering Korea University’s English Literature department, she faced another culture shock seeing classmates with outstanding English skills but remained steadfast. She passed a highly competitive process and joined POSCO as part of the first female recruitment batch. Her siblings have also made their marks in their respective fields, holding executive positions for over ten years or succeeding as entrepreneurs.

Her mother still often says, "I am happy because of you all" and "I am proud of you." Lee shared, "I have developed a mindset to treat junior employees with the same warm perspective as my parents did," adding, "I believe this will also give the employees the strength to overcome hardships."