Chairman Lee Jung-geun of Booyoung Group Returns to Management... Emphasizes Ethical Management

Lee Joong-geun, founder of Booyoung Group (photo), has returned to the forefront of management after three years and assumed the position of chairman.

At the inauguration ceremony held on the morning of the 30th at the Booyoung headquarters on Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul, Chairman Lee expressed his determination, saying, "Amid the overall crisis in the construction industry, we will strive toward a new future for Booyoung Group."

He told employees and executives, "In the face of internal and external economic difficulties, swift and meticulous decision-making is more important than ever," adding, "Booyoung Group must practice responsible ethical management as a company serving the people and live up to those expectations."

Chairman Lee received a special presidential pardon on the 14th, a day before Liberation Day. Economic organizations welcomed the special pardon, stating, "It will be an opportunity for our economic recovery amid the crisis."

A Booyoung Group official said, "With the return of Chairman Lee Joong-geun, the group's founder and major shareholder, to management, previously stagnant projects are expected to gain new momentum and proceed," adding, "Employees and executives are greatly welcoming this."

Chairman Lee was born in 1941 in Jukdong Village, Unpyeong-ri, Seomyeon, Suncheon-si, Jeollanam-do. After graduating from Dongsan Elementary School (25th class) and Suncheon Middle School (15th class), he moved to Seoul and earned a master's and doctoral degree in public administration from Korea University's Graduate School of Policy Studies. He is currently studying constitutional law at Korea University's graduate school.

Unusually for a businessman, he has taken the lead in promoting history awareness. In 2013, he established Ujeong Bookstore and published five history books, including "The 1,129 Days of the Korean War," stating, "It is the duty of the elderly to let future generations know our history as it is." The books were written using the Ujeongche (宇庭體) technique, which records facts exactly in a date-by-date, diary format.

Booyoung Group has played a role as a housing ladder for ordinary people through its rental housing business, which most construction companies have avoided due to low profitability and negative social perception. To date, it has supplied 300,000 households, of which 230,000 are rental apartments. The group also practices environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management by continuously engaging in social contribution activities in various domestic and international fields. The total amount donated to society has exceeded 1 trillion won. Recently, Chairman Lee's personal donation of 265 billion won attracted attention.