[Lee Jae Myung's Power Man] Former Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong Man Appointed as Head of Special Delegation to the US [AK Radio]

President Lee's Connection with Park Began During His Gyeonggi Governorship
Held "Manmun Myungdap" Discussion on Economic Issues
Special Envoy Delegation Led by Former Chamber of Commerce Chairman

On July 17, President Lee Jae Myung appointed former Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong Man as the head of the special delegation to the United States. Han Jun Ho, Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, and lawmaker Kim Woo Young are members of the delegation. Park, who also served as chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was appointed as the head of the delegation, which is an unusual choice for a business leader. Woo Sang Ho, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, explained, "Chairman Park Yong Man has been a leading figure in Korea's business community and has served as the head of the nation's top economic organization. We believed that meetings with business leaders would proceed more naturally from the perspective of the United States, so we proposed the role to him, and he gladly accepted."

Chairman Park was born in Seoul in 1955. He graduated from Kyunggi Middle and High School and the business administration department at Seoul National University. After working at Korea Exchange Bank, he went to Boston University in the United States, where he earned a master's degree in business administration. Park Yong Man is the fifth son among six sons and one daughter of the late Park Doo Byung, the eldest son of Doosan Group founder Park Seung Jik. He is a third-generation member of the Doosan family. He joined Doosan Construction in 1982 and later served as chief of staff, president, and eventually chairman.

In 2021, he stepped down from all positions at Doosan Group together with his two sons. In 2022, he sold all of his remaining Doosan-related shares, ending his ties with the group. He is currently the managing partner of Bellstreet Partners, a management consulting firm, and also serves as the chairman of the board of the foundation 'Walking Together.' Known as an early adopter, he enjoys communicating with employees and has even personally attended recruitment briefings in the past.

In January 2022, he held a discussion with then-candidate Lee Jae Myung under the title 'Manmun Myungdap (Questions from Park Yong Man, Answers from Lee Jae Myung),' covering topics such as the economy and international affairs. At the time, Chairman Park defended Lee by saying, "No one knows better than I do that candidate Lee is pro-business." President Lee, calling Park a "respected entrepreneur," introduced the cover photo of Park's book "Because Even the Shadows Are Part of Life" on his social media.

President Lee Jae Myung shaking hands with former Chairman Park Yong Man in 2022 Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee Jae Myung's relationship with Chairman Park began during his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province. They signed a business agreement, and the use of the Doosan Group's land in Jeongja-dong, Bundang-gu, was changed, allowing Doosan to build seven new office buildings there. President Lee often cites this as an example of his pro-business and pragmatic approach. When running for president in 2022, Lee even considered inviting Chairman Park to serve as the head of his campaign fundraising committee. The close relationship between Chairman Park and the late lawmaker Kim Geun Tae is also well known. They became acquainted as alumni of Kyunggi High School, and Kim attended the wedding of Park's eldest son. After Kim's passing, Park has attended the memorial service every year.

Political circles have long sought to recruit Chairman Park. At the end of the Moon Jae In administration, he was mentioned as a candidate for prime minister, and immediately after the most recent presidential election, his name was floated again as a possible first prime minister in the Lee Jae Myung administration. However, Chairman Park has consistently drawn a line between himself and politics. He has said, "As a businessperson, my mind is set on focusing on efficiency and productivity. Politics is an area where you cannot think only about efficiency. That is why politics is not something I can do," thus declining such offers. It remains to be seen whether Chairman Park will maintain this stance in the future or choose to run in next year's Seoul mayoral election or other races.

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