[New Academic Thread]⑥ Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jung-jae Turns Out to Be 'High School Alumni'... Hyundai High School Founded by Chung Ju-yung

Apgujeong Hyundai High School, Many Children of Chaebols Attend
Magician Lee Eun-gyeol and Broadcaster Noh Hong-chul Are Alumni
Ulsan Hyundai High School Is a Cradle of Korean Professional Soccer

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 Law School, and Chung-Ang High School have been symbolic since the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. While these networks sometimes remain mere acquaintances, they can also impact policy decisions. Asia Economy reports on the newly spotlighted high schools and their networks biweekly on Saturdays under the series 'New Academic Networks.' ①Chung-Ang High School ②Kyungmoon High School ③Mapo High School ④Gyeonggi High School ⑤Yeouido High School ⑥Hyundai High School

Hyundai High School, located on Apgujeong-ro in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, was established in 1985 by the late Chung Ju-yung, founder of the Hyundai Group. One year earlier, in 1984, Hyundai High School in Ulsan, Gyeongnam, along with four other middle and high schools under the Hyundai Academy, were also founded by the late Chairman Chung. Born in 1915 in Tongcheon, Gangwon Province, he had a strong yearning for education due to his limited schooling during his youth. Those who studied diligently in the educational environment he established are now active in various fields.

Hyundai High School (Gangnam) has produced key figures in the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, including Ahn Sang-hoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs at the Presidential Office (1st class), and Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice (5th class). Actor Lee Jung-jae, who rose to global stardom through the Netflix drama 'Squid Game,' is a classmate of Minister Han. Another Hyundai High School (Ulsan) has been closely linked with the history of Korean professional soccer. Founded on March 20, 1987, its soccer team currently serves as the U-18 youth team for the K League's Ulsan Hyundai Football Club and has produced many key players who were runners-up in the Under-20 World Cup.

Ahn Sang-hoon, a 1st class graduate of Hyundai High School, served as a full-time researcher in the Department of Sociology at Uppsala University, Sweden, from 1998 to 2000. Since 2001, he has been a professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Seoul National University's College of Social Sciences. Secretary Ahn led the 'Lifecycle Safety Welfare' policy, one of President Yoon Seok-yeol's welfare policy pledges. During the last presidential election, he served as the head of the Welfare State Policy Headquarters at the People Power Party's election committee.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon [Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Han, nicknamed 'Little President,' 'King Minister,' and 'The Real Power,' is the most prominent figure among the inaugural cabinet members of the Yoon administration. His words, actions, and even fashion have been widely covered by the media. Recently, supporters filled the stairs of the Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, with wreaths to mark the first anniversary of his appointment. President Yoon appointed him as Minister of Justice, considering him the best fit for modernizing legal administration and reforming the judicial system to meet global standards. Minister Han has been at the center of political conflicts, opposing the Democratic Party's 'Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights' (검수완박) legislation with the enforcement decree for 'Restoration of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights' (검수원복).

There is a famous anecdote from Minister Han's time as a prosecutor. While serving as a special prosecutor at the Busan District Prosecutors' Office in 2007, he expanded investigations into lobbying involving Blue House officials and political circles, leading to the arrest and indictment of former Blue House Protocol Secretary Jeong Yoon-jae and former National Tax Service Commissioner Jeon Gun-pyo. Arresting a sitting National Tax Service Commissioner was unprecedented. Minister Han reportedly went to Prosecutor General Jeong Sang-myeong at the time, staking his position to obtain approval for the arrest warrant. President Yoon, who was a researcher at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office then, highly praised Minister Han, saying, "You always conduct investigations with the rigidity of an independence movement without flexibility."

Hyundai High School located in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

According to a Hyundai High School alumnus, Minister Han was a model student during his time at Hyundai High School, serving as class president and achieving top academic rankings, including first in the entire school. However, this alumnus noted that despite his academic excellence, he did not exhibit arrogance or a sense of entitlement.

Some also view him as differing from the 'cold-hearted prosecutor' image known publicly. Kim Hyun-seok, director of Kim Hyun-seok Plastic Surgery Clinic in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul, who has maintained a friendship with Minister Han for over 30 years since their days at Shindong Elementary, Kyungwon Middle School, and Seoul National University, said in a June interview with Monthly Chosun, "Dong-hoon often shared things or bought meals for friends. Even during university, it was similar, leading me to think he might lack a sense of economy. Fortunately, his mother and wife take meticulous care of him." Seo Byung-ho, senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Finance, and Choi Seung-seok, former executive director at Hanwha Life Insurance, are also classmates from Hyundai High School.

Alumni recall that actor Lee Jung-jae, who is active in the film industry and a classmate of Minister Han, was considered a standout student. For example, Lee was in the 'entertainment class' and showed early star qualities by demonstrating bodybuilding in class. Although Lee appeared to be a wealthy heir, he actually grew up in a poor environment. His grandfather, a doctor, lost repeatedly in National Assembly elections, leading to the family's decline. However, Lee does not welcome being labeled as an actor who rose from poverty. In a 2008 interview with Arena, he said, "No one has truly lived without hardship," and "I personally dislike people who dredge up their past hardships to seek sympathy." Lee is currently enjoying his peak career, winning the Best Actor award at the U.S. Emmy Awards for 'Squid Game' and starring in the Star Wars series. Other actors from Hyundai High School include Park Hyung-joon (2nd class) and Song Il-gook (3rd class).

Prominent figures from Hyundai High School (Seoul·Ulsan). (From left) Ahn Sang-hoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs to the President; Lee Eun-gyeol, magician; Kim Seung-gyu, soccer player (Al Shabab FC, Saudi Arabia); Lee Jung-jae, actor; Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice; Hong Jeong-guk, CEO of BGF.

World-renowned magician Lee Eun-gyeol also graduated from Hyundai High School. Lee was the first Korean to win the grand prize at an international magic competition, gaining prominence. He won first place at the 2006 International Federation of Magic Societies (FISM) competition, further elevating the status of Korean magic worldwide. His powerful charisma on stage, polished manners, and mesmerizing hand movements sparked a magic boom.

In the business world, heirs of chaebols stand out. Given the school's location in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam, it is expected that many alumni come from affluent families. Notable figures include Choi Dong-seok, CEO of Eastbridge Partners; Heo Cheol-hong, CEO of GS M-Biz; and Hong Jung-guk, CEO of BGF. CEO Choi is a cousin of Choi Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, and worked at SK Group from 1995 to 2000. After serving as head of Goldman Sachs Seoul's IB division, he moved to Eastbridge Partners. CEO Heo belongs to the GS family; his father is Heo Jeong-su, chairman of GS Neotek, and his grandfather was the late Heo Jun-gu, honorary chairman of GS Construction. Heo Jun-gu's father was the late Heo Man-jung, founder of GS Group. CEO Hong's father is Hong Seok-jo, chairman of BGF Group. Hong's brother is Hong Seok-hyun, chairman of JoongAng Holdings, and his sister-in-law is Hong Ra-hee, former director of Samsung Museum Leeum and wife of the late Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee. Hong Jin-gi, former chairman of JoongAng Ilbo, is his father.

Im Byung-il, vice president of Samsung Electronics (1st class), is also notable. After passing the 40th Administrative Examination in 1996 as the top candidate, he worked in economic ministries before switching to investment banking (IB). He stood out as head of UBS Securities Korea and later moved to Samsung Securities as executive director before joining Samsung Electronics. Other Hyundai High School alumni include Choi Seok-won, CEO of Com2uS Platform; Im Seok-won, CEO of Taepyeongyang Mulsan; and Lee Je-young, executive director of OCI Holdings' Strategic Planning Office.

Kim Young-gi, who led the Korean IB division at JP Morgan, is also a Hyundai High School alumnus. At the end of last year, he joined Naver Z and Cream, subsidiaries of Naver, as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), overseeing fundraising and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to enhance the companies' corporate value. He previously led the sale of Woowa Brothers, acquisition of eBay Korea by Shinsegae, privatization of Woori Financial Group, acquisition of Prudential Life by KB Financial Group, and Kakao Pay's IPO. Yang Hong-seok, vice chairman of Daishin Securities, is another alumnus.

In academia, notable alumni include Seo Yong-seok, professor at KAIST and director of the Global Strategy Institute and Science and Technology Strategy Center; Lee Young-je, professor in the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Korea University; and Ha Byung-chun, professor of Business Administration at Sogang University. In the legal field, Ha Jung-hoon, research judge at the Supreme Court, and Kim Yoo-cheol, head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, graduated from Hyundai High School. In the media, Park Jong-hoon, KBS economic specialist reporter; Lee Sung-il, MBC Newsroom economic team specialist reporter; Son Hae-yong, economic editor at JoongAng Ilbo; and Jo Kang-wook, head of the Construction and Real Estate Department at Asia Economy, have all brought honor to the school. Among related figures, Ryu Gwang-jun, director of the Planning and Coordination Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT and a 37th Administrative Examination pass, is a 1st class graduate of Hyundai High School.

Ulsan Hyundai High School. Photo by Hyundai High School website capture

Hyundai High School in Ulsan is a well-established cradle of Korean professional soccer. It has swept youth soccer tournaments, including winning the 49th Busan MBC National High School Soccer Tournament in 2017, the 98th National Sports Festival, the 2018 national men's and women's soccer tournaments, the 26th Queen's Cup National Women's Soccer Tournament, the Spring Korean Women's Football Federation High School Division, the 42nd Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism National High School Soccer Tournament in 2020, and the 2022 K League U17 Championship.

Its high-level soccer skills have led fans to say, "A prestigious soccer school means Ulsan Hyundai High School." Notable players include Kim Seung-gyu (Al Shabab FC, Saudi Arabia), Cho So-hyun (Tottenham Hotspur FC Women, UK), Lim Chang-woo (Gangwon FC), Lee Sang-heon (Busan IPark), Kim Geon-woong (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Seol Young-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Baek-kwan (Ulsan Hyundai), and Oh Se-hoon (Ulsan Hyundai).

All high schools founded by the late Chairman Chung Ju-yung have a unique program called the National March. Hyundai High School's National March was planned to honor Chairman Chung's 1988 crossing of Panmunjom with a cattle herd, laying the foundation for inter-Korean reconciliation. Students entering Hyundai High School must experience the National March, a program designed to cultivate resilience. The program was suspended due to COVID-19 but has since been revitalized.

["Hoping to Become the Light of the World" - Hyundai High School Founder Chung Ju-yung]

"As a young man carrying stones at a construction site, I admired students who had proper education, which I lacked. I hope those who cultivate pioneering spirit and creative ability in this educational environment become the light of the world." - The late Chung Ju-yung, founder of Hyundai Group

This is part of the founding spirit inscription on the monument at Hyundai High School's campus in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul. Chairman Chung was said to have had a deep yearning for learning. As a child, he ran away from home four times to avoid becoming a poor farmer like his parents. After his last runaway, he survived by doing manual labor at Incheon Port construction sites, Pungjeon Yeot Factory (Dongyang Confectionery), and Boseong Vocational School (Korea University) building construction. Despite founding Hyundai Group and growing it into a global enterprise with indomitable spirit, he always felt regret for not receiving proper education. This was the reason behind establishing five middle and high schools under Hyundai Academy.

Chairman Chung established the Seoul Hyundai Academy Foundation in April 1978 and became its first chairman. Hyundai High School obtained construction permission in March 1984, began construction, and opened in 1985. It transitioned to an autonomous private high school in 2011. The current chairperson of the foundation is Jang Jeong-ja, widow of the late Jeong Shin-young, the fifth sibling among Chairman Chung's seven siblings (six brothers and one sister). Chairperson Jang is devoted to educational projects and social service. Supported financially by the school foundation, Hyundai High School is a prestigious private school known for its pleasant educational environment and in-depth customized career and academic programs for each student. Principal Kang Seung-won said, "In addition to high-level academic learning, all faculty members are pooling wisdom to provide various educational activities that develop students' potential and cultivate their emotions."

Ulsan Hyundai High School was established in 1984 with Chairman Chung as chairman of the board since 1976. Principal Seo In-seok said, "Founded in 1984 based on the spirit of challenge and creativity of the late founder Chung Ju-yung, it is a place of learning nurturing future talents under the motto 'Become a sound member of society.' Despite challenging educational conditions around, students' self-directed learning attitudes and teachers' dedicated guidance and passion have led many students to prestigious universities, establishing it as a top private school."