'Living Witness to Korea's Industrialization' Yongman Lee, Former Minister
Launches YouTube Channel to Connect with the Young Generation
Enthusiastic Response from Millennials and Gen Z... 19,000 Subscribers in 20 Days
A new sensation has emerged as the oldest rookie YouTuber in South Korea, born in 1933, with a remarkable background as a war veteran, war orphan, and former Finance Minister. Yongman Lee, age 92, who has served as Finance Minister and Governor of the Bank Supervisory Board and is known as a "living witness to Korea's industrialization," recently launched a YouTube channel to communicate with the younger generation.
Former Finance Minister Yongman Lee recently launched a YouTube channel to communicate with the younger generation. Yongman Lee YouTube channel
On May 16, Lee opened a YouTube channel titled "Please Do Yongman Lee" and released his first video, "Introducing Yongman Lee, Korea's Oldest YouTuber at 92." In the video, Lee introduced himself by saying, "I am Yongman Lee, a rookie YouTuber who turned 92 this year," and added, "There may not be much to see, but I will do my best."
Lee served as Finance Minister from 1991 to early 1993. Before that, he was an officer at the Cabinet Planning and Control Office, a director at the Blue House, Director General of the Budget Bureau, Vice Minister of Finance, President of Korea Exchange Bank, and Governor of the Bank Supervisory Board, making him a distinguished economic bureaucrat. When asked by the production crew to introduce himself, he recited his impressive career without hesitation, prompting the subtitle "A rookie YouTuber with an extraordinary background."
Former Finance Minister Yongman Lee recently launched a YouTube channel to communicate with the younger generation. Yongman Lee YouTube channel
When asked why he started a channel at the age of 92, he made people laugh with the unexpected answer, "Because you (the crew) keep telling me to do it." He then explained, "I decided to leave a record of my life by sharing my stories on YouTube."
He also shared dramatic experiences from the Korean War. Born in Pyonggang County, Kangwon Province, North Korea, he fled south alone at age 17 when the Korean War broke out and joined as a student soldier. In 1951, during an ambush operation, he was shot in the shoulder and spine by enemy fire and faced a life-or-death moment. "I was lucky enough to survive because the bullets missed my vital organs," he recalled, adding, "I consider that day?May 11, 1951?my second birthday."
Among the presidents he worked with during his public service, he cited the late President Park Chung-hee as the most memorable, saying, "President Park attended the situation room every day without fail when the Five-Year Economic Development Plan was explained. He truly deserved to be called the 'economic president.'" During the Park Chung-hee administration, Lee served as the longest-tenured Director General of the Budget Bureau (now Director General of Financial Policy at the Financial Services Commission) at the Ministry of Finance, handling the practical affairs of the Five-Year Economic Development Plan and becoming a living witness to the "Miracle on the Han River."
The channel has received an enthusiastic response, surpassing 19,000 subscribers in just over 20 days since its launch. Notably, two out of every three viewers are young people aged 18 to 34. Many viewers have commented that they find comfort in the heartfelt advice and direct manner of an elder who has endured difficult times firsthand.
In an interview with Yonhap News on June 5, Lee shyly remarked, "What could anyone gain from listening to the ramblings of someone past their prime?" but added, "I want to share various stories on YouTube as if I were talking to my grandchild in their twenties." He plans to share a variety of experiences, from his recipe for kimchi fried rice made on the battlefield under a hail of bullets, to anecdotes with his mentor, the late former Prime Minister Duckwoo Nam.
Lee stated, "I just want to tell future generations who have never known hunger that their grandfather once lived like this," and added, "Although I sent five children to college, I never once attended an entrance or graduation ceremony because I was so busy working. When I see how all that hard work has contributed to the development of our country, I feel happy. My dream is to leave behind a nation where future generations can live healthier, more stable, and better lives."
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