Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The Waldorf=Astoria
301 Park Avenue
New York City

Reception • 6:30 PM • Jade Room
Dinner • 7:30 PM • Grand Ballroom

black tie/traditional attire

For further information, please contact Jiyoung Suh at (212) 759-7525, ext. 311.

Keynote Speaker

Stephen W. Bosworth 
Special Representative for North Korea Policy

Stephen W. Bosworth became the special representative for North Korea policy in February 2009, reporting to the secretary of state and the president. Ambassador Bosworth continues to serve as dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Prior to his appointment at The Fletcher School in February 2001, he served as the United States ambassador to the Republic of Korea from November 1997 to February 2001. From 1995 through 1997, Ambassador Bosworth was the executive director of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO). Before joining KEDO, he served seven years as president of the United States–Japan Foundation, a private American grant-making institution. He also taught international relations as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs from 1990 to 1994. In 1993, he was the Sol Linowitz Visiting Professor at Hamilton College. He has co-authored several studies on public policy issues for the Carnegie Endowment and the Century Fund, and in 2006 he co-authored Chasing the Sun, Rethinking East Asian Policy.

Ambassador Bosworth has had an extensive career in the United States Foreign Service, including service as ambassador to Tunisia from 1979 to 1981 and ambassador to the Philippines from 1984 to 1987. He also served in a number of senior positions in the Department of State, including director of policy planning, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs, and deputy assistant secretary for economic affairs. Ambassador Bosworth is the recipient of several awards, including the American Academy of Diplomacy’s Diplomat of the Year Award in 1987, the Department of State’s Distinguished Service Award in 1976 and 1986, and the Department of Energy’s Distinguished Service Award in 1979. In 2005, the government of Japan presented him with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.

Ambassador Bosworth is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

Van Fleet Award Honoree

Chung Mong-Koo
Chairman
Hyundai–Kia Automotive Group

As the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, the world’s fifth-largest automaker, Chung Mong-Koo has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision which have put the Group firmly on track for growth in the 21st century. Since taking the helm of Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group in 1999, Mr. Chung has propelled the automaker to the top ranks of the industry by instituting on-site management, quality management, and global management, the three core principles of his management philosophy. From the margins of the industry, Hyundai has emerged among the Top 100 Global Brands for the past four years, according to InterBrand, the UK brand consultancy and Business Week.

His major strategic decisions include the 1998 rescue from bankruptcy of Kia Motors, instituting the Six Sigma quality revolution, and the aggressive push to globalize R&D and manufacturing operations starting with the 2002 decision to invest in a Beijing China manufacturing subsidiary. To get a closer feel of the pulse of the American car buyer, nearly US$2.5 billion has been invested to construct new assembly plants in Montgomery, Alabama, in West Point, Georgia, as well research and development centers in Irvine, California, and Superior Township, Michigan, leading to the direct creation of some 8,000 new jobs for Americans and thereby strengthening the Korean-American partnership.

Mr. Chung is continuously striving to achieve his vision for the 21st century. By building two new manufacturing plants in Europe, expanding production capacities in both China and India and integrating a newly established steel company into the company’s production system, he is leading the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group in becoming a more competitive player in the auto industry.

Outside the company, Mr. Chung has maintained a high profile in the business community, most recently securing Korea’s right to host the 2012 Expo in his role as Honorary Chairman of the Bidding Committee for the Expo 2012 Yeosu. Mr. Chung is also contributing to the economic cooperation and peace policies in North-East Asia as Chairman of the Board for the East Asia Forum, which established and implemented the Jeju Peace Forum.

His philanthropic activities are led by the Haevichi Foundation which supports the performing arts and environmental protection causes. In the U.S., Hyundai Motor’s subsidiaries contribute to the local communities through various corporate social responsibility activities. A key initiative in the North American region is the `Hope on Wheels’ program, which supports the fight against pediatric cancer. More than $10 million have been donated to the cause since the program’s inception in 1998. Other activities include building and preserving homes for the less fortunate by working with `Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together,’ as well as supporting the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross. In addition to blood donations and fund-raising activities worth of 1$ million during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina relief effort, every year the employees at Hyundai’s Alabama plant volunteer over 1,000 hours to help make the community a better place.

Mr. Chung holds a bachelor’s degree in Industry Business Administration from Hanyang University. On February 4, 2001, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame, making him the first Korean and second Asian to receive this award. In 2004, he was named by Business Week magazine as one of the year’s “Best Managers.” In 1986, Central Connecticut State University bestowed upon him an Honorary Professorship, and in 1989, an Honorary Ph.D. in Human Science. China’s Tsinghua University awarded Chairman Chung an Honorary Professorship of Business Administration in 1996.

Van Fleet Award Honoree

Henry A. Kissinger
56th Secretary of State
United States of America

Henry Alfred Kissinger was sworn in on September 22, 1973, as the 56th Secretary of State, a position he held until January 20, 1977. He also served as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from January 20, 1969, until November 3, 1975. In July 1983 he was appointed by President Reagan to chair the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America until it ceased operation in January 1985, and from 1984-1990 he served as a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. From 1986-1988 he was a member of the Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy of the National Security Council and Defense Department. He served as a member of the Defense Policy Board from 2001 to 2008.

At present, Dr. Kissinger is Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm. He is also a member of the International Council of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.; chairman of the International Advisory Board of American International Group, Inc.; a counselor to and trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; an honorary governor of the Foreign Policy Association; and an honor member of the International Olympic Committee. Among his other activities, Dr. Kissinger is a member of the board of directors of ContiGroup Companies, Inc. and an advisor to the Board of Directors of American Express Company. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Forstmann Little and Co.; a trustee emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; a director emeritus of Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc.; and a director of the International Rescue Committee.

Among the awards Dr. Kissinger has received have been the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973; the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation’s highest civilian award) in 1977; and the Medal of Liberty (given one time to ten foreign-born American leaders) in 1986.

Dr. Kissinger was born in Fuerth, Germany, came to the United States in 1938, and was naturalized a United States citizen in 1943. He served in the Army from 1943 to 1946. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1950 and received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University in 1952 and 1954.

From 1954 until 1969 he was a member of the faculty of Harvard University, in both the Department of Government and the Center for International Affairs. He was Director of the Harvard International Seminar from 1952 to 1969.

Dr. Kissinger is the author of:

A World Restored: Castlereagh, Metternich and the Restoration of Peace, 1812-1822 (1957)
Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy (1957)
The Necessity for Choice: Prospects of American Foreign Policy (1961)
The Troubled Partnership: A Reappraisal of the Atlantic Alliance (1965)
Problems of National Strategy: A Book of Readings (ed.) (1965)
American Foreign Policy, Three Essays (1969)
White House Years (1979)
For the Record: Selected Statements, 1977-1980 (1981)
Years of Upheaval (1982)
Observations: Selected Speeches and Essays, 1982-1984 (1985)
Diplomacy (1994)
Years of Renewal (1999)
Does America Need a Foreign Policy?: Toward a Diplomacy for the 21st Century (2001)
Ending the Vietnam War: A History of America’s Involvement in and Extrication from the Vietnam War (2003)
Crisis: The Anatomy of Two Major Foreign Policy Crises (2003)

He has also published numerous articles on United States foreign policy, international affairs and diplomatic history. His column, syndicated by Tribune Media Services International, appears in leading U.S. newspapers and in over 40 foreign countries.

DINNER CHAIR
AHN Byung Mo
Group President and CEO
KIA Motors America and KIA Motors Manufacturing Georgia

BENEFACTOR
Spencer H. KIM
Chairman
CBOL/Celltron

Michael AHN
President and CEO
LG Electronics North America

CHOI Changsoo
President and CEO
Samsung Electronics America, INC.
North America Region

Bill HWANG
Founder and CEO
Tiger Asia Management LLC

PATRON
HUR Dong-Soo
Chairman and CEO
GS Caltex Corporation

MIN Keh-Sik
Vice Chairman and
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Hyundai Heavy Industries

SPONSOR
Nicholas C. WALSH
Vice Chairman
AIU Holding, INC.

Larry A. KLANE
President and CEO
Korea Exchange Bank

Benefactor
CBOL/Celltron
Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group
LG Electronics USA, Inc.
Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Tiger Asia Management L.L.C.

Patron
GS Caltex Corporation
Hyundai Heavy Industries
Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group

Sponsor
AIU Holdings
Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group
Korea Exchange Bank

Donor
KPMG LLP
Lazard Asset Management LLC
MetLife
Morgan Stanley & One Equity Partners
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Robert E. Fallon

Contributor
Asiana Airlines, Inc.
Belstar Group
Korean Consulate General
McLarty Associates
PGP Capital Advisors, LLC
POSCO
SK USA

Special Acknowledgement
Additional support was provided by Mark Gaston, Gaston Capital Management Inc.; Alexandra Munroe, Guggenheim Museum; Mark A. Smith, Mark Smith Law Office; Richard T. McCormack, Merrill Lynch.

Guest of Honor

Lee Myung-Bak
President of the Republic of Korea

Before becoming the 17th president of the Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-Bak was a prominent Hyundai businessman, imaginative politician in the National Assembly and successful mayor of Seoul. His illustrious career, along with the story of his rise from his humble beginnings, has been a source of inspiration for many young Koreans.

Born on December 19, 1941 to a poor family from Pohang, a port city in southeastern Korea, President Lee paid his way through high school and college by rising early every morning, collecting trash and sweeping the streets. He has maintained the habit of waking up early ever since, rising before 5 AM every day.

After joining Hyundai Construction in 1965, his achievements included the construction of the Pattani- Narathiwat Highway in Thailand and the Seoul-Busan (Gyeongbu) Highway in Korea, both of which later became the backbone of economic development in the respective countries. President Lee also led the construction of Iraq’s Arabian Repair Shipyard and Jubail Industrial Port as well as Malaysia’s Penang Bridge, the second longest in the world at the time. He also spearheaded Hyundai’s drive to modernize Korea’s Presidential housing stock by planning and building modern apartment complexes. On the strength of these accomplishments, President Lee rose to become CEO of Hyundai Construction in just 12 years.

As CEO of Hyundai Construction, President Lee oversaw Hyundai’s automobile, heavy industry and shipbuilding units, which eventually became Hyundai Motors, Hyundai Heavy Industry and Hyundai Shipbuilding, respectively. He held CEO positions at ten different Hyundai affiliates, including Hyundai Engineering and Incheon Steel, before leaving the company in 1992.

After leaving Hyundai, President Lee served two terms in the National Assembly before being elected mayor of Seoul in 2002. The most notable achievement of his service as mayor was the restoration of Cheonggyecheon, a 6.5 kilometer stream that had been buried by concrete for 40 years. The project was an audacious one. To uncover the stream, he had to remove an eight-lane highway and 5.8 kilometer overpass that carried 270,000 vehicles daily. Moreover, the restoration faced harsh opposition from many local interest groups. President Lee set out to forge a consensus among the 220,000 business owners, residents and street vendors of the area by conducting more than 4,000 dialog sessions. Eventually, the project succeeded, reviving Seoul’s ecosystem and enlivening the city center. Now, more than 30 million people visit Cheonggyecheon annually. The project earned the Best Public Administration award at the Venice Biennale’s 9th International Architecture Exhibition in 2005. For his support of the project, President Lee was named one of the “Heroes of the Environment” by TIME magazine in 2007.

Under President Lee’s watch, the city of Seoul excelled in e-government practices and was ranked first in the world in 2003 and 2005 in the biennial global e-government report. He also helped to transfer Seoul’s e-government innovations to Moscow, Hanoi and Ulaanbaatar.

In 2007, President Lee won the Grand National Party’s nomination for president. He promised to usher in a new era of pragmatism during his campaign for the presidency. As outlined in his inaugural speech, President Lee’s vision for Korea is “a nation where the government serves its people with devotion, a nation where the economy is robust and the weak and the marginalized are taken care of…a nation where the best and the brightest are fostered, and welcomed by the rest of the world, and which attracts the world’s best and brightest to come and work.” He also promised that Korea would pursue global diplomacy in a manner commensurate with its stature so as to contribute to peace and stability around the world. The Korean people have responded positively to this vision.

President Lee was elected president on December 19, 2007 and sworn in on February 25, 2008. He won the election by a wide margin in all categories-region, age group and income level-and placed ahead of the nearest runner-up by 5.28 million votes, representing 22.5 percent of the total ballots cast. Coincidentally, December 19 happens to be his birthday as well as his wedding anniversary.

This is President Lee’s first trip to the United States as president of the Republic of Korea.

2008 Van Fleet Award Honorees
(on behalf of Peace Corps Korea Volunteers)

Kevin O’Donnell
First Country Director for Peace Corps Korea
Former Peace Corps Director

Kevin O’Donnell is recognized throughout the Peace Corps community as a great champion of the agency, having established Peace Corps Korea in the 1960’s and fought successfully for the survival of the Peace Corps worldwide as the agency’s fourth director in 1971.

O’Donnell began his service to the Peace Corps in 1966, only six years after John F. Kennedy’s challenge to Americans to give two years of their life to service abroad. The program was only five years old at the time, and its long-term viability was far from certain.

As the first country director for Korea, O’Donnell faced the formidable challenge of establishing a new program in an unfamiliar country, including negotiating with government ministries and building curricula that addressed Korean needs in math, science, English and physical education. He also had to make provisions for meeting the physical requirements of the 300- plus American Peace Corps volunteers who came to Korea on their missions of peace and friendship during his tenure as country director.

For his exemplary work, O’Donnell received the Republic of Korea’s Order of Civil Merit from President Park Chung-hee in 1970.

After his return to the U.S., O’Donnell was appointed director of the Peace Corps in 1971 when the agency’s budget was under fire by opponents in Congress. O’Donnell’s robust advocacy and strong sense of purpose and mission is credited with convincing the Nixon administration to save the Peace Corps’s budget. Not one volunteer was recalled for budgetary reasons under O’Donnell’s stewardship.

As a strong believer in the Peace Corps ethic of non-careerist service, O’Donnell left the Corps in 1972 to become the executive vice president of SIFCO Industries, Inc., and eventually the company’s CEO in 1980.

O’Donnell holds an undergraduate degree from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has served on the boards of various companies and organizations, and currently works as managing director of O’Donnell & Associates, a consulting firm.

The legacy of the example O’Donnell set in his devotion to public service is best exemplified by his daughter Megan and granddaughter Allison, both of whom have followed in his footsteps to become Peace Corps volunteers. 

Don Oberdorfer

Don Oberdorfer is chairman of the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University. He joined SAIS in 1993 upon retiring from a 38-year career as a journalist covering national and international affairs.

Oberdorfer is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Princeton University in 1952 and served as a U.S. Army lieutenant in Korea immediately following the signing of the Korean War armistice in 1953.

He began his journalistic career in 1955 on the Charlotte Observer and also worked for the Saturday Evening Post and as a national correspondent of the Knight Newspaper chain. In 1968 he joined the Washington Post, where he served as White House correspondent, Northeast Asia correspondent based in Tokyo, and for 17 years, as a diplomatic correspondent covering U.S. relations with the rest of the world.

He has received many awards for journalistic excellence, including the National Press Club’s Edwin M. Hood Award for diplomatic correspondence in 1981 and again in 1988, and Georgetown University’s Edward Weintal prize for diplomatic reporting in 1982 and 1993. In 1996 Princeton bestowed on him its annual Woodrow Wilson Award that is given to a graduate who has performed exemplary service to the nation.

Oberdorfer is the author of five books: Tet!, a political-military history of the turning point of the Vietnam War (1971); The Turn: From the Cold War to a New Era (1991) Princeton University: The First 250 Years (1995); The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History (1997) and Senator Mansfield (2003).

From 1986 to 1989, Oberdorfer was chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Washington Center of the Asia Society. He was president of Overseas Writers, a professional association of U.S. and foreign journalists who focus on diplomacy in Washington, from 1994 to 1996.

He is married to the former Laura Klein. Their son, Dan, is an attorney in Minneapolis. Their daughter, Karen, is a small business proprietor in the San Francisco Bay area.

Speakers

Carlos M. Gutierrez
Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce

Carlos M. Gutierrez is the 35th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the voice of business in government. The former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kellogg Company, Secretary Gutierrez is a core member of President Bush’s economic team. In nominating Mr. Gutierrez, President Bush said, “He understands the world of business, from the first rung on the ladder to the very top. He knows exactly what it takes to help American businesses grow and to create jobs.”

A top priority for Secretary Gutierrez is prying open global markets for U.S. companies so they can continue innovating and competing to build a stronger American economy. The Secretary regularly travels internationally to visit with foreign government and business leaders to discuss ways to enhance trade and promote U.S. exports. He played a key role in the passage of CAFTA-DR, a landmark agreement that strips away trade barriers, expands export opportunities and boosts hope and opportunity throughout Latin America. He believes passionately in President Bush’s vision of a 21st century where America is the best country in the world to do business and where everyone has the opportunity to experience the joy and pride of living the American Dream. “We have the best people, we have the training, we have the culture,” Gutierrez says. “I believe the 21st century is really and truly the American century.”

Secretary Gutierrez oversees a diverse Cabinet agency with some 38,000 workers and a $6.5 billion budget focused on promoting American business at home and abroad. His Department gathers vast quantities of economic and demographic data to measure the health and vitality of the economy, promotes U.S. exports, enforces international trade agreements and regulates the export of sensitive goods and technologies. Commerce also issues patents and trademarks, protects intellectual property, forecasts the weather, conducts oceanic and atmospheric research, provides stewardship over living marine resources, develops and applies technology, measurements and standards, formulates telecommunications and technology policy, fosters minority business development and promotes economic growth in distressed communities.

Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General
United Nations

Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations, brings to his post 37 years of service both in government and on the global stage.

At the time of his election as secretary-general, Ban was his country’s minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. His long tenure with the ministry included postings in New Delhi, Washington D.C. and Vienna, and responsibility for a variety of portfolios, including foreign policy advisor to the president, chief national security advisor to the president, deputy minister for policy planning and director-general of American affairs. Throughout this service, his guiding vision was that of a peaceful Korean peninsula, playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world.

Ban has longstanding ties with the United Nations, dating back to 1975, when he worked for the Foreign Ministry’s United Nations division. That work expanded over the years, with assignments as first secretary at the ROK’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, director of the UN Division at the ministry’s headquarters in Seoul, and ambassador to Vienna, during which time, in 1999, he served as chairman of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. In 2001-2002, as chef-de-cabinet during the ROK’s presidency of the General Assembly, he facilitated the prompt adoption of the first resolution of the session, condemning the terrorist attacks of September 11, and a number of other initiatives aimed at strengthening the Assembly’s functioning.

Ban has also been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations. In 1992, as special advisor to the foreign minister, he served as vice chair of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission following the adoption of the historic Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In September 2005, as foreign minister, he played a leading role in bringing about the adoption at the Six-Party Talks of the joint statement on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

Ban received a bachelor’s degree in international relations by Seoul National University in 1970. In 1985, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University.

Welcome
Mr. Bill. Rhodes
Dinner Chair

Greetings
The Hon. Donald P. Gregg
Chairman, The Korea Society

Mr. Evans J.R. Revere
President, The Korea Society

H.E. Lee Hee-Beom
50th Anniversary Commemoration Chair

Video Presentation

Remarks

The Hon. Christopher R. Hill
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Dinner

Keynote Address
H.E. Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations
Introduction by Mr. Bill. Rhodes

Musical Interlude
Ms. Rose Jang, Soprano
With accompaniment by an ensemble from the
New Jersey Philharmonic Orchestra
Introduction by Mr. Frederick F. Carriere

Van Fleet Award Ceremony

Honorees:

H.E. Kim Dae-jung
Video presentation with remarks by The Hon. Donald P. Gregg

Mr. & Mrs. Houghton Freeman
Introduction by Mr. Evans J.R. Revere

Korea Foundation
Introduction by The Hon. Donald P. Gregg

Closing Remarks
Mr. Evans J.R. Revere

BAN KI-MOON

Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, brings to his post 37 years of service both in government and on the global stage.

Career highlights

At the time of his election as Secretary-General, Mr. Ban was his country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. His long tenure with the ministry included postings in New Delhi, Washington D.C. and Vienna, and responsibility for a variety of portfolios, including Foreign Policy Advisor to the President, Chief National Security Advisor to the President, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General of American Affairs. Throughout this service, his guiding vision was that of a peaceful Korean peninsula, playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world.

Mr. Ban has longstanding ties with the United Nations, dating back to 1975, when he worked for the Foreign Ministry’s United Nations division. That work expanded over the years, with assignments as First Secretary at the ROK’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, Director of the UN Division at the ministry’s headquarters in Seoul, and Ambassador to Vienna, during which time, in 1999, he served as Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. In 2001-2002, as Chef-de-Cabinet during the ROK’s Presidency of the General Assembly, he facilitated the prompt adoption of the first resolution of the session, condemning the terrorist attacks of 11 September, and undertook a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening the Assembly’s functioning, thereby helping to turn a session that started out in crisis and confusion into one in which a number of important reforms were adopted.

Mr. Ban has also been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations. In 1992, as Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister, he served as Vice Chair of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission following the adoption of the historic Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In September 2005, as Foreign Minister, he played a leading role in bringing about another landmark agreement aimed at promoting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula with the adoption at the Six Party Talks of the Joint Statement on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

Education

Mr. Ban received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970. In1985, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Prizes and awards

Mr. Ban has received numerous national and international prizes, medals and honours. In 1975, 1986 and again in 2006, he was awarded the ROK’s Highest Order of Service Merit for service to his country.

Lee Hee-Beom

is chairman and CEO of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), Korea’s largest and most influential trade organization. KITA’s activities include supporting overseas marketing for Korean corporations, facilitating international trade cooperation, educating international trade specialists and advising the Korean government and international bodies on a wide range of trade-related matters.

Prior to taking the helm at KITA, Lee served as minister of Commerce, Energy and Industry in the cabinet of President Roh Moo-hyun. This appointment marked the apex of a 30-year career in Korea’s international trade diplomacy establishment. Beginning in 1973 as a deputy director in the Ministry of Trade, Lee moved on to become the commercial attaché to the Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C. from 1988 to 1991, filling the same position at Korea’s mission to the European Union in Brussels from 1994 to 1998. In these roles Lee took part in the Super 301 Negotiations, talks on renewing steel and textile arrangements with the U.S. and the Korea-EU Shipbuilding Negotiations. In 1998, Lee became standing commissioner of the Korean Trade Commission and special counsel to Kim Dae Jung’s Presidential Transition Committee. After serving as chairman and CEO of Korea Productivity in 2002, Lee became the president of Seoul National University of Technology in early 2003.

Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering and a master’s in public administration from Seoul National University. He also holds an MBA (summa cum laude) from George Washington University and a Ph.D. in business management from Kyunghee University in Seoul. Lee received a Presidential Commendation in May 1984.

Bill Rhodes
Chairman, President and CEO
Citibank N.A.

Chairman, President and CEO
Citicorp Holdings Inc.

Senior Vice Chairman
Citigroup Inc.

Bill Rhodes is the senior international officer for Citigroup. He has specific responsibilities for client relationships worldwide, as well as for relationships with governments and other official institutions. He is a member of Citigroup’s Operating and Management Committees.

Rhodes gained a reputation for international financial diplomacy in the 1980s because of his leadership in managing the developing world’s external-debt crises. During that period, and into the 1990s, Rhodes headed the advisory committees of international banks that negotiated debt-restructuring agreements for Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. In 1998, when the Republic of Korea experienced liquidity problems, he chaired the international bank group that negotiated the extension of short-term debt of the Korean banking system. In early 1999, at the request of the government of Brazil, he acted as worldwide coordinator to help implement the maintenance of trade and inter-bank lines by foreign commercial banks to Brazil.

In addition to sitting on many corporate boards, Rhodes is a governor and trustee of The New York-Presbyterian Hospital, a member of the Lincoln Center Consolidated Corporate Fund Leadership Committee and a vice chairman of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Business Committee and Chairman’s Committee. He is a member of the board of overseers of the Watson Institute for International Studies and chairman emeritus of the board of trustees of the Northfield Mount Hermon School.

He has received decorations and honors from various governments and institutions, including an honorary doctorate in humane letters from his alma mater, Brown University. He is a chevalier and officer of France’s Legion of Honor and has received decorations from Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela and Jamaica, as well as multiple awards from not-for-profit organizations in recognition of his contributions to international banking and finance.

Rhodes joined Citibank in 1957 after graduating from Brown University.

Dinner Chair 

William R. Rhodes
Chairman, President & CEO, Citibank, N.A.
Senior Vice Chairman, Citigroup, Inc.

50^th Anniversary Commemoration Chair

Lee Hee-beom
Chairman & CEO
Korea International Trade Association
Korea-U.S. Economic Council

Benefactor

Citigroup, Inc.

Korea International Trade Association

Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Standard Chartered Bank

The Starr Foundation

Tiger Asia Management L.L.C.

Patron

American International Group, Inc.

Citigroup, Inc.

Gale International

GS Caltex Corporation

Korea International Trade Association

Lazard Asset Management LLC

LG Electronics, North American HQ

Sponsor

The Boeing Company

Korea Exchange Bank

KPMG LLP

Lehman Brothers

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Prudential Financial, Inc.

SK USA, Inc.

The Washington Times Foundation

Donor

Citibank, N.A.

Deloitte & Touche

Hyosung (America) Inc.

Korean Bankers Association in New York

NYSE Euronext

The Coca-Cola Company

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Korean Consulate General

POSCO America Corporation

Special Acknowledgement

Additional support was provided by Alexandra Munroe; Mark Gaston, Gaston Capital Management Inc.; On Sohn, SEI Global.

We gratefully acknowledge in-kind donations from Johnnie Walker.