Honoring Founder Park Jeong-hee's Founding Spirit
Donation of Expenses by Korean-American Entrepreneur Lee Don
Yeungnam University (President Choi Oechul) held an unveiling ceremony for the statue of its founder, Park Jeonghee, on the 23rd at the Cheonma Honors Park on the Yeungnam University campus, commemorating the university's 77th anniversary.
This event was organized to honor the founding spirit, educational philosophy, and achievements of Park Jeonghee and to further illuminate his legacy for future generations on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the university's establishment.
Behind the Park Chung-hee statue erected on the Yeungnam University campus, attendees of the unveiling ceremony are taking a commemorative photo.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Yeungnam University President Choi Oechul and faculty and staff, Han Jaesuk, Chairman of the Yeungnam Academy Foundation, Lee Don, President of the Yeungnam University North America Alumni Federation who donated the full cost of the statue, his spouse Yoo Bokkyung, Park Jeonghee’s Presidential Secretary for Legal Affairs, Kim Ki-chun, the first chairman of the Park Jeonghee Memorial Foundation and former Chief Secretary to President Park Geunhye, Lee Seungjong, CEO of the Saemaul Foundation, former Yeungnam University Presidents Lee Sangcheon and Seo Gilsu, Kwak Hosang, President of Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Lee Jaeyong, President of Yeungnam College of Science and Technology, former Alumni Association President Jeong Taeil, Chairman of the Seoul Alumni Association Park Jeonggwan, Honorary Professor Association Chairman Lee Gwangsik, Chair of the Faculty Council Jeong Jaehak, representatives of the staff labor union, student representatives, retired staff representatives, and about 200 other guests.
The statue unveiling ceremony proceeded in the order of opening declaration, introduction of the founder and report on the statue production process, congratulatory speeches, presentation of appreciation plaques, and the unveiling of the statue.
Park Jeonghee, the founder of Yeungnam University, was born in 1917 in Gumi, Gyeongbuk. After working as a teacher at Mungyeong Public Elementary School, he graduated in 1946 from the Joseon Guard Academy, the predecessor of the current Korea Military Academy. Serving as the 5th through 9th President of the Republic of Korea from 1963 to 1979, he presented the grand vision and blueprint of national modernization and ethnic revival to the people, uniting the hearts and strengths of all citizens to develop South Korea into a global economic powerhouse.
In 1967, with the educational philosophy that “to achieve the development of the Republic of Korea, it is very important to nurture pillars of ethnic revival and innovative talents of the era,” along with a spirit of patriotism and love for the people, he founded Yeungnam University and set its educational goals.
The statue of Park Jeonghee is made of bronze, measuring 2.5 meters in height and 0.8 meters in width and depth, mounted on a granite pedestal 2 meters wide and long and 0.3 meters high. The sculptor Kim Youngwon, who created the statue, is a master of figurative sculpture in Korea, known for works such as the King Sejong statue in Gwanghwamun Square and “Osu” at the Hoam Art Museum, as well as statues of President Park Jeonghee’s birthplace in Gumi and the Cheongnamdae Presidential statue.
After forming a consensus on producing the founder’s statue at the 9th Yeungnam University North America Alumni Federation regular meeting held in Los Angeles, USA, in October 2023, Lee Don visited Yeungnam University in December last year to begin detailed discussions with President Choi Oechul, marking the official start of the project. In April this year, Lee Don pledged to donate all costs necessary for the production and installation of the statue so that it could be unveiled in 2024, the 77th anniversary of the university, to honor the founder’s noble intentions and enhance the university’s prestige.
Lee Don (Architecture Class of ’73), who donated the entire cost of the statue, emigrated to the U.S. in 1986 and founded Active U.S.A. Inc. the following year, achieving great success. Despite losing all his assets during the 1992 LA riots, he made a remarkable comeback through the credit and outstanding leadership he built as a businessman.
Currently, he serves as a director of Pacific Bank, a Korean-American bank in North America, a leading CEO of the World Korean Business Convention, a director of the Memorial Project for Yi Eonjeok, a Gyeongsangbuk-do overseas advisor, and president of the North America Daegu-Gyeongbuk Association. Although residing overseas, he has continuously contributed to charitable causes and was selected as the 3rd overseas member of the “Honor Society” by the Community Chest of Korea. As an overseas advisor for Gyeongsangbuk-do, he has generously supported the global competency development of youth by inviting about 100 university students from Daegu and Gyeongbuk to intern at Active U.S.A.
In July 2011, to repay the grace of his late father and mother, Lee Don established the Wolsan Scholarship Foundation at his alma mater Yeungnam University in 2012 to support younger generations. Since 2012, he has donated scholarship funds totaling 4 million dollars to Yeungnam University, making it the largest personally named scholarship foundation operated by the university.
Lee Don also played a leading role in founding the Yeungnam University North America Alumni Federation, the first such organization established by a university south of the Han River. At that time, he served as the preparatory committee chairman, personally visiting major cities in North America to persuade and encourage alumni participation. He served as president of the Yeungnam University LA Alumni Association and the inaugural president of the North America Alumni Federation, and currently serves as its 9th president. To honor his contributions, Yeungnam University awarded him the “Proud Yeungnamian Award” in 2006 and an honorary doctorate in business administration in 2014. In 2023, he was honored with the Order of Civil Merit, the Dongbaek Medal, by the government for his contributions to the development of education in Korea.
In his congratulatory speech, Kim Ki-chun, Chief Secretary to President Park Geunhye, said, “It is truly meaningful to hold the unveiling ceremony of the statue of founder President Park Jeonghee on the 77th anniversary of Yeungnam University. Having served closely at the Blue House as a public official, I vividly remember his tireless dedication and heartfelt desire for national revival, urging us to live well. We remember with gratitude the efforts of President Park Jeonghee, who laid the foundation for the freedom and prosperity we enjoy today.”
Lee Don, who played a major role in unveiling the founder’s statue, said, “I am pleased and honored to contribute to erecting the statue of Park Jeonghee, the founder of our alma mater and the architect of the Miracle on the Han River, on the university campus. Establishing the statue of the proud founder Park Jeonghee on the Yeungnam University campus, where the spirit of the Cheonma soars, has been the heartfelt wish of the North American Yeungnam University alumni. Today, South Korea’s global standing is overwhelming, made possible by President Park Jeonghee’s Saemaul spirit, unwavering patriotism, drive, and exceptional foresight.”
President Choi Oechul of Yeungnam University said, “It is deeply moving to hold the unveiling ceremony of the statue of President Park Jeonghee, who founded Yeungnam University to nurture pillars of ethnic revival during times of poverty, despair, and hopelessness, in this meaningful year marking the 77th anniversary of the university. Recently, a Nobel laureate in economics praised the ‘Park Jeonghee development model’ as a great inspiration for economic development policies in other countries, which is a great source of pride for us. Commemorating the founder’s philosophy and values and continuing his spirit is the very identity of Yeungnam University.”
President Choi continued, “As the Yeungnam University anthem says, ‘To drive away darkness and falsehood, teaching brightness and truth,’ Yeungnam University will fulfill its mission as an educational institution that teaches truth and justice. We will overcome any forces that shake the university and challenge its founding spirit and identity with brightness and true truth. Once again, I thank Lee Don and his family of the Yeungnam University North America Alumni Federation for their financial support for the statue construction, and all those who participated in the event. We will continue to do our best to nurture talents who contribute to ethnic revival and the common prosperity of human society.”
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