[New Academic Network] ② Growing Interest in 'Former Prosecutor Financial Supervisory Service Chief' from 'Gyeongmun High School'... Academic and Business Circles Connections Positioned

Conductor Ku Ja-beom and Composer Jo Young-su Produced by Lee Bok-hyun and Others
Many Broadcasting Figures Including Sung Se-jung, Yoo Jung-hyun, and Jung Hyuk-jin

Editor's NoteSouth Korean society is a vast networked society. Connections based on academic ties, regional ties, and blood relations often intertwine and influence actions. Recently, academic networks have drawn particular attention. The names Harvard University, Seoul National University School of Law, and Chungam High School have been symbolically mentioned since the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. While these networks sometimes remain mere acquaintances, they can also impact policy decisions. Asia Economy will report biweekly on Saturdays a series titled 'New Academic Networks,' focusing on high schools gaining new attention to explore their human networks.

On June 7 last year, the financial sector was stirred. For the first time since its establishment in 1999, a former prosecutor was appointed as the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor. The emergence of Lee Bok-hyun, nicknamed the 'Grim Reaper of the Business World' for investigating major corporate incidents, was enough to unsettle the business community. Known as the 'youngest member of the Yoon Seok-yeol faction' during his prosecutor days, he graduated from Seoul National University’s Department of Economics and passed the Certified Public Accountant exam in 1998 and the Bar exam in 2000, making him a leading expert in economic and financial investigations within the prosecution.

Governor Lee graduated from Kyungmoon High School (Kyungmoon High) located in Dongjak-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. He is an alumnus of the 9th graduating class. As attention on Governor Lee increased, interest in Kyungmoon High also grew.

Founded in 1980, Kyungmoon High is not widely known, perhaps due to its relatively short history. The founder was the late Go Kyung-moo, former chairman. The name 'Kyungmoon (慶文)' combines the middle character of the founder’s name 'Kyung (慶)' meaning 'celebration' with 'Moon (文)' meaning 'literature' or 'writing.'

It means 'learning literature is a joyful event.' It also implies that one should enjoy studying and not be lazy in learning. Additionally, it carries the hope that the school will become a prestigious high school producing many outstanding talents in the future. True to its name, Kyungmoon High has grown into a prestigious high school, producing many distinguished talents active across various sectors of society.

Seoul Kyungmoon High School main building and artificial turf sports field. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

Among the notable Kyungmoon High alumni, Governor Lee stands out recently. Alumni recall him as a humble classmate who listened attentively to friends and was considerate of others. They shared an anecdote: when Lee was appointed FSS Governor, alumni organized a modest congratulatory gathering. However, Lee politely declined to attend, reportedly concerned that his words and actions might inadvertently harm the honor of his alma mater, the prosecution, or FSS staff. He is known to communicate casually with alumni outside of work, maintaining a friendly relationship.

Yang Dong-su, who was Lee’s homeroom teacher in his senior year of high school, passed away last year due to illness. According to an alumnus, the late Mr. Yang once said Lee was "a very diligent and well-tempered student." He expressed pride in having taught such a student. Mr. Yang was known for his special affection for Kyungmoon alumni, attending the first alumni association meeting in March 2022 and spending meaningful time with his former students.

Park Tae-hoon (2nd class), CEO of Nextin and president of the alumni association, said, "Kyungmoon High quickly established itself as a rising prestigious school in its early years, but graduates have grown through their own abilities without much help from senior alumni, resulting in many professionals such as professors and doctors." He added, "This year marks the 40th anniversary of the school’s founding. The auditorium remodeling will be completed by the end of April. Classroom renovations will begin in 2 to 3 years. The foundation, school, and alumni plan to work together to make this a new leap forward."

Jung Hyuk-jin (4th class), a lawyer at Dongin Law Firm and former alumni president, said, "In the 1980s, when rote learning was common, the previous chairman proposed very progressive educational methods. Teachers guided students to think independently." He also noted, "In the early days, many teachers were in their early 30s. Some even traveled with students, acting as 'life mentors' outside school."

Another alumnus, Yang Wook (11th class), a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, emphasized, "Kyungmoon High had a very good academic atmosphere. Even now, there are many excellent teachers." Both Jung and Yang have recently appeared on various broadcasts as political commentators and military experts, widely promoting Kyungmoon High’s name. Jung is a classmate of former National Assembly member and current broadcaster Yoo Jung-hyun, who transitioned from being an SBS announcer to politics.

Prominent alumni from Kyungmoon High School. (From left) Lee Bok-hyun, Chairman of the Financial Supervisory Service; Koo Ja-beom, Conductor; Park Tae-hoon, CEO of Nextin (Alumni Association President); Sung Se-jeong, KBS Announcer; Shin Jung-hoon, CEO of Haitai Confectionery & Foods; Yoo Jung-hyun, Former Member of the National Assembly; Jung Hyuk-jin, Lawyer at Dongin Law Firm; Jo Young-soo, Composer

Prominent academic figures from Kyungmoon High include Cho Kyung-hyun, a professor of Computer Science at New York University and 2021 Ho-Am Prize laureate; Do Jun-sang, a professor at Seoul National University College of Engineering; Han Jun, a sociology professor at Yonsei University; and Jung Woo-jin, a mechanical engineering professor at Korea University College of Engineering. Professor Han currently serves as president of the Korean Sociological Association. In the media sector, there are Kang Byung-joon, former CEO of Electronic Times; Sung Se-jung, KBS announcer; and Jung Kyung-min, CEO of Women’s Economic Newspaper. Byun Hee-jae, who serves as advisory chairman of Media Watch and is also a YouTuber, is an alumnus. In business and finance, notable alumni include Shin Jeong-hoon, CEO of Haitai Confectionery & Foods; Jung Doo-young, CEO of Shinsegae Construction’s construction division; and Ryu Seung-heon, advisor at Shinhan Asset Management.

Dr. Choi Hyung-joon, a 6th class alumnus, was the first to elucidate the superconducting mechanism of magnesium diboride (MgB2), a high-temperature superconductor hailed as a 'future new material,' during his doctoral studies at UC Berkeley in August 2002. This material is a new substance that can be widely used across industries such as ultra-high-speed maglev trains and high-speed computers.

Many alumni are active in broadcasting and the arts. Among them is comedian Kim Hak-do (6th class), known as the 'human photocopier.' He has impersonated 28 singers and stars, including singers Cho Yong-pil, Shin Seung-hun, Lee Seung-chul, Kim Gun-mo, and actors Lee Deok-hwa and Jeon Yoo-sung, gaining popularity for his mimicry of their voices.

Composer Cho Young-soo, known as a 'hit song maker,' graduated from Kyungmoon High’s 13th class. He has produced numerous hits across various genres including ballads, R&B, dance, and trot, such as Lee Seung-chul’s 'There’s No One Like That,' SG Wannabe’s 'I Love You' and 'My Love Crybaby,' T-ara’s 'Lie,' Hong Jin-young’s 'Love Battery,' and Lim Young-woong’s 'Trust Only Me Now.' He won the Korean Music Copyright Awards in 2011, arrangement awards in 2015, and both composition and arrangement awards in 2016, achieving a double crown. In 2015, he received the Minister of Culture Award at the '2015 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards' for his contributions to popular culture. In 2022, he won the 8th Korean Music Copyright Association’s grand prize for arrangement.

Conductor Gu Ja-beom (7th class), known as the 'piano-playing philosopher,' is also an alumnus. According to a Dong-A Ilbo article from August 2003 about his genius, Gu was born with perfect pitch and was called a prodigy when he first learned piano at age seven. However, he found rigid music education difficult and disliked the expensive practical training culture, so he quit music upon entering middle school. Later, he entered Yonsei University’s Department of Philosophy in 1989 and pursued graduate studies, immersing himself in philosophy, including Ludwig Wittgenstein, distancing himself from music.

In January 1995, he flew to Germany and was immediately admitted to the conducting program at Mannheim University of Music graduate school. Gu served as opera coach at Mannheim National Opera Theater in 1996, principal conductor at Hagen City Opera Theater in 1998, and principal conductor at Darmstadt National Opera Theater in 2002. On May 7, he will hold a concert at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall performing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony 'Choral' with Korean lyrics. This is the first time Beethoven’s symphony will be sung in Korean domestically. Gu translated the lyrics himself.

[Looking Back at Kyungmoon High’s 30-Year History...]

Kyungmoon High’s motto is sincerity, diligence, and service. It embodies the founder’s intention to nurture sincere and capable talents, diligent individuals who do their best in assigned tasks, and those who can serve the nation and society. 'Sincerity' means cultivating true character through constant self-reflection, making it a fundamental personal virtue and life guideline. 'Diligence' encourages continuous effort to improve skills, and 'service' refers to understanding and caring for others. In other words, through sharing and consideration for others, one should recognize that our society is a community living together with others, as taught by the late chairman Go Kyung-moo.

According to 'Kyungmoon 30-Year History,' published in 2010, in the early 1980s, the school conducted annual teaching research across all subjects including Korean, math, social studies, science, foreign languages, arts, and vocational subjects. Teaching research aimed not only to provide quality learning to students by improving teachers’ skills and abilities but also to offer teachers opportunities for self-development and professional growth, according to the school. From the 1990s to mid-2000s, the school shifted its educational policy to focus on five core subjects?Korean, math, social studies, science, and foreign languages?tailored to the characteristics of a humanities high school.

To develop critical thinking and logical skills, the school held the 'Kyungmoon Reading Quiz Contest,' where students wrote book reports and gave presentations, helping them organize their thoughts and improve presentation skills. Alumni say this helped them develop the ability to find rational solutions to social problems.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Kyungmoon High School is currently undergoing new construction, including the auditorium. Kyungmoon High School aims to embody the practical lessons of "Sincerity, Diligence, and Service" (Chinese characters on the right). Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@