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February 26, 2008
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More than 200 foreign business leaders came to the inauguration held at the National Assembly plaza in southern Seoul yesterday morning. Maurice R. Greenberg, chairman and CEO of the global investment firm C.V. Starr; Barry Meyer, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.; Ron Anderson, a vice president of AIG Group and Nobuyaki Koga, president of the leading Japanese financial holdings company, Nomura Holdings, heard Lee vow to revitalize the economy. Three famous athletes of Korean descent were also invited. American Hines Ward, the half-Korean MVP of the 2006 NFL Super Bowl, 19-year-old Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan and world champion figure skater Kim Yu-na all witnessed the beginning of Lee’s term. Steven Knapp, the president of George Washington University, located in Washington, D.C., also attended. Lee formed close ties with the university in 1999 when he was a visiting scholar there, according to GW’s public relations office. “In 1999, GW had the privilege of hosting Lee as a visiting scholar at GW’s School of Business,” Knapp said. “I am honored to have been asked to participate in this historic event. This marks a new chapter in the university’s special relationship with Korea as we continue to reach out to our global community.” Fifty citizen representatives attended the inauguration, including a navy lieutenant known as a national hero for his role in the 2002 Yellow Sea naval battle between North and South Korea. Lee Hui-wan was wounded in the clash with North Korean vessels off the Korean Peninsula’s western coast. Lee’s transition team said they invited the public representatives to give new hope to people from all backgrounds. “I think that my invitation means that the new government regards national security as an important issue in the country,” Lee Hui-wan said. “We learned the importance of national security through the battle in the West Sea,” Lee added, using the alternate name for the Yellow Sea. “I hope to see the lives of all the Korean people improve under the new government.” By Kang In-sik JoongAng Ilbo/ Park Sang-woo Contributing Writer [enational@joongang.co.kr] |
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