편집자 주     본지에서는 전세계 외국인 독자들을 대상으로 한국의 역사와 문화를 정확하게 소개하기 위해 김정기 변호사의 칼럼을 영문판으로 연재를 시작합니다.

한국의 역사와 문화에 관심있는 전 세계인들에게 도움이 되길 바랍니다.

한국어 독자들은 한국어로 번역된 화면이 보이므로 반드시 사이트 상단에서 원문보기로 설정하셔야 영문판으로 보실수 있습니다.
 

 

 

​☆김정기 총장 주요 약력☆

 
● 학력
- 뉴욕주립대학교(StonyBrook) 정치학과 수석졸업
- 마케트대학교(Marquette) 로스쿨 법학박사
- 하버드대학교(Harvard) 케네디스쿨 최고위과정
- 베이징대학교(Peking) 북한학 연구학자

 
● 경력
- 제8대 주상하이 대한민국 총영사(13등급 대사)
- 2010 상하이엑스포 대한민국관 정부대표
- 아시아태평양지방정부네트워크(CityNet) 사무국 대표
- 세계스마트시티기구(WeGO) 사무국 사무총장
- 밀워키지방법원 재판연구원 
- 법무법인 대륙아주 중국 총괄 미국변호사
- 난징대학교 국제경제연구소 객좌교수
- 베이징대학교 동방학연구원 연구교수
- 국민대학교 정치대학원 특임교수
- 동국대학교 경영전문대학원 석좌교수
- 숭실사이버대학교 초대 총장

 
● 저서
- 대학생을 위한 거로영어연구[전10권](거로출판사)
- 나는 1%의 가능성에 도전한다(조선일보사)
- 한국형 협상의 법칙(청년정신사)
- 대한민국과 세계 이야기(도서출판 책미듬)

(NewsKorea=Seoul) Digital News Team = My Story 12 - ● The Reason I Aspire to Become a Statesman 

<Three Conditions of a Statesman>

During the Joseon Dynasty, Sam Bong Jung Do-jeon was an exemplar of my life. Jung Do-jeon's dignified demeanor and courage symbolized the image of a new model of the 21st century knowledge and information era, creating the image of a "True Scholar," or "Chamseonbi." He reached the pinnacle of scholarship, and as a reform-minded figure who even possessed the wildness of a mountain tiger through his exile, Jung Do-jeon's dignified life sufficiently became a model for my own. And after dreaming of becoming a statesman, I thought of becoming a figure like Jung Do-jeon, who lives on in history. Jung Do-jeon, as a symbol of reform politics opening the future era, had enough of what I idealized as the image of a statesman. He cherished people, practiced love and benevolent politics, and fulfilled the following three conditions:

The three conditions of a politician are to become economically independent in order to adhere to principles, to become a mentally autonomous individual with professional knowledge, and to make efforts toward personal integrity. In my pursuit of the dream of a statesman, I have endeavored to fulfill all three.

First of all, in order to become economically independent, I lectured at universities, wrote books, launched a youth startup, and became a professional intellectual. To this end, I studied political science and law in the United States and became a lawyer and university professor.

After completing my political science studies in the United States in 1990, I returned to Korea. I limited my lectures to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University, and laid the foundation for economic independence while actively engaging in university English writing activities until 1995. In the early 1990s, I was the first in Korea to attempt efforts to overcome the structure of the dependency on the United States and Japan by investing a significant amount of money, two billion Korean won, in the localization of university English. The result was the publication of the <Georo Workshop Series>, which sold over 3 million copies. Among these, Georo Vocabulary Workshop and Georo TOEIC Workshop were each a hit with over 1 million copies sold. On a sustainable basis, I planned a Georo English course program for 60 universities nationwide and initiated the 'Georo Army' to teach with the Georo English series. Subsequently, including Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University, it became famous enough for any Korean university student to know about 'Georo English Courses.

As a young entrepreneur who pioneered the university English market, and with the patriotic justification of localizing university English, it seems that I was able to further ignite students' enthusiasm for English studies. My authored books, totaling 10, and 50 books from the Georo English Research Institute constituted the Georo English Studies Series. Anyway, achieving economic independence through these efforts allowed me to freely engage in political activities. The foundation for economic independence, achieved through university lectures, writing activities, and publishing management, became the basis for my pursuit of the idealized political realization. However, my life as a 'star' college English instructor, author of million-selling books, and successful young entrepreneur ended here. Having achieved a certain degree of economic independence, I temporarily set aside the success of my English life and decided to sail back to my original dream, aiming for a second leap.

That was the challenge of studying law after acquiring professional knowledge in political science. While studying political science, I was able to build a foundation for acquiring the power to see the big picture, but later I felt the need to pursue the power to examine the details. With that in mind, I boldly returned to the path of studying law, feeling that it was necessary to overcome internal challenges and pursue spiritual freedom and mental and moral autonomy. It was challenging to enter law school seven years after completing my undergraduate and doctoral studies, especially in my mid-30s, and studying law was difficult. Nevertheless, I never neglected my studies for a moment because of the joy of challenging myself. In the end, I became a lawyer in the United States, specializing in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), represented by negotiation, mediation and arbitration, and worked as a sole arbitrator for small claims cases under $5,000 in Milwaukee Circuit Court.

In 2000, I returned to Korea and once again challenged what seemed impossible. As a non-mainstream figure within the academic world, I was elected as the founding president of Korea Cyber University (now Soongsil Cyber University), co-established by Yonsei University and the Chosun Ilbo. This was made possible largely due to the strong support of Song Ja, former President of Yonsei University and a de facto founder, and Kim Woo-sik, President of Yonsei University and Chairman of its Board of Trustees. With this, I transitioned from a non-mainstream academic to a key institutional leader, becoming the head of a university and later an administrator of a pioneering digital university, leading the millennium era.

The year 2005 brought a new challenge for me. I became a research scholar at the Joseon Culture Research Center and later a research professor at the Institute of Oriental Studies of Peking University, enhancing my profile as an international expert spanning the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, North Korea, and China.

In 2008, I was appointed as the 8th Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, a position equivalent to a Grade-13 ambassador. This allowed me to expand my expertise beyond foreign  affairs and national security to include the economic and financial sectors. Shanghai, as China's economic capital and a hub of financial activity, also holds significant historical value, housing the former headquarters of the Korean Provisional Government during Japanese colonial rule and sites tied to Korea's independence movement, including the refuge of Kim Gu, whom I deeply respect. The experience was profoundly moving and meaningful for me.

From 2011 to 2021, I pursued dual roles as a lawyer and professor. While I worked as a senior attorney-at-law overseeing China-related affairs at DR & AJU LLC, my primary focus was academia. I successfully synthesized my expertise across the social sciences, teaching law, political science, economics, history, sociology, futures studies, and negotiation at various institutions, including Nanjing University as a distinguished guest professor at its Research Institute of International Economy; Sungkyul University as a distinguished chair professor of liberal arts; Kookmin University as a distinguished professor at the Graduate School of Politics; Hannam University as a distinguished professor at the Faculty of Economics; Dongguk University as a distinguished chair professor at its Graduate School of Business; and Kyung Hee University as a visiting professor at its Techno Management Graduate School. This period enabled me to develop a comprehensive strategic perspective, bringing me closer to my role model, Jeong Do-jeon, though I recognize there is still much to achieve.

Since 2022, I have been contributing to international organizations. I was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of CityNet, an Asia-Pacific local government network for Economic and Social Development established by UNESCAP, where I spent over two years focusing on achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing climate change, and tackling natural disaster issues. Through CityNet, I expanded my global perspective to include ASEAN's ten member nations, further enhancing my understanding of the world. In 2024, I was appointed as the Secretary General of the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), founded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government together with 50 cities in 2010 and now the number of member cities exceeds 200. In this role, I am committed to promoting sustainable development through smart city collaboration, supporting digital capacity-building, and disseminating smart city solutions.

Next, I believe that pursuing personal integrity is an essential quality for a statesman. We call someone a hero when they overcome external challenges and a sage when they conquer internal struggles, achieving spiritual freedom and moral autonomy. However, this path requires lifelong effort, constant self-discipline, and perseverance. In this sense, aspiring to become a person of complete integrity is a virtue every statesman should uphold.

In my view, there are two core elements in this pursuit: practicing the values of the "Three Bonds and Five Relationships" (三綱五倫) and maintaining "a public-minded spirit (公心)." While living according to the moral and ethical principles of the "Three Bonds and Five Relationships" can be challenging, these guidelines—which emphasize trust and loyalty—are fundamental for those striving for politics that genuinely serve the people. Furthermore, leaders must embrace public-mindedness as a minimum standard of integrity to address issues such as the inability to distinguish public and private interests, cronyism, extreme individualism, and a lack of transparency in personnel policies.

In this light, I continue to strive toward personal integrity after achieving economic independence and professional expertise. This journey reflects my commitment to realizing the ideals of politics that I have long envisioned. For me, personal integrity is a lifelong pursuit—a philosophy of life that I endeavor to cultivate and uphold as I move forward.

<The path of politics for people>
 
As a 22nd-generation descendant of Kim Kyun, who was honored as one of founding fathers of the Joseon Dynasty and appointed as the Left Chancellor of the State Council (Jong 1st Rank / Vice-Prime Minister) with the title of Prince Gyeongnam-gun, I took pride in being a descendant of the noble family, and this was sufficient for me to live as a chosen person in the 'small kingdom' of Geoje Island. My great grandfather moved from Yongin in Gyeonggi-do to Hamyang in Gyeongsangnam-do, likely because there were many outstanding Confucian scholars in Hamyang, as the saying "Left Andong, right Hamyang" suggested during the Joseon Dynasty. Following the teachings of my grandfather, who cultivated students as a Confucian scholar in Hamyang, I behaved like a nobleman(Sadaebu) of the Joseon Dynasty. Although I confined my thoughts within narrow bounds, I held onto the belief that 'I am different from others' and vowed not to live recklessly, aiming to grow into a good person.

The reason I thought about becoming a statesman was because I saw my father leaving public office due to the spy Yu I-hwa incident. When anti-communism was a national policy, it was my father who arrested the spy Yu I-hwa, obtained crucial clues, and reported it to the higher authorities. My father had indeed made a significant contribution by capturing the spy. The proverb "A dog catches the rat, but the cat eats it" implies that while the effort was made by one person, the credit for capturing the spy was taken by someone else. My father's departure from public office was likely a protest against the injustice where wrongs overshadowed what was right.

In the fifth grade of elementary school, when the espionage incident occurred, my father, as a local police chief, and his junior officers achieved remarkable results. However, when those results were handed over to the higher authorities, my father could not accept it and eventually resigned from public office. Nevertheless, my father is buried in Daejeon National Cemetery as a person of national merit!!

When my father invested all his retirement savings and even took out loans to start a large-scale farm, my young heart felt a mix of sadness and new hope. Could a citrus farm, successful only in Jeju Island, thrive on Geoje Island as well? There were people who worried, others who discouraged, and some who watched with a mindset of "Let it fail." Among them, there might have been those preparing to start their own farms if my father succeeded. My family, including my father, firmly believed in success. We had faith that the land would not lie, and that the fruit would bear as much as the sweat and hope we put into it.

I cannot forget the smell of the farm's soil. On the hillside, with the South Sea spread out like a carpet below, my father poured the rest of his life into the farm. Even in winter, Geoje Island's vegetable fields did not lose their greenery. When the red camellias bloomed between the stone walls, farmers, including my father, could not help but be greedy. It was a desire to find spring in winter. My father was a prime example of this.

That's how the tangerine farm started. My mother and my dreams were there too. As I sat on the grassy mound of manure-smelling dirt and looked out at the sea, the thought that life was worth living suddenly occurred to me. However, due to the severe cold that winter, the tangerines could not grow and all the trees froze to death. That was the end for the rest of my father's life. From then on, my father had no life left of his own. All I had to do was wander through a sea of ​​hardship until I was exhausted for the sake of my family. 

After that, I resolved to succeed. I harbored ambitions to achieve what my father could not and dreamed of success. Enduring such sadness and pain during my formative years, I contemplated rectifying my family's misfortune and dismantling the corrupt structure in the public sector that had caused my father's suffering. Why does our society have a contradictory structure where those who practice justice are sacrificed by corrupt groups? I could not help but ponder this. It was the beginning of my existential struggle to achieve the small hope of a society where honest people are recognized, social justice is alive, and at least minimal social morality remains. This was the starting point of my political dream.

My father never expressed resentment for not achieving a higher position as a local police head, nor did he regret not holding the position longer. However, I thought that based on the power in my hands, I should make those who took credit for the work done by others realize the unfairness. On the other hand, my deep-rooted compassion for those suffering unjustly led me to the conclusion that I should live a life truly caring for and serving people. What should I do to live such a life? Therefore, I chose the path of a statesman.

I thought that that dream should lead to a path to politics in order to build a foundation that can alleviate the frustration of powerless people and my father's unfair defeat that I saw in my hometown when I was young. So, my determination to pursue a career in politics became even stronger. It was like that. I began to develop a broad worldview that if I were to enter politics in the future, I would not stop protesting against injustice, but would truly cherish people and carry out a politics of love for them.

And in order to create a conscientious and enlightened society, a society where intelligent, proud, and reform-oriented passions stir, he prepared to take a new step forward as a true leader of this land, a sincere person who has made service and sacrifice his calling. In the Korean context of the 21st century, leadership has been preparing for that path, realizing that it must be able to present an exemplary human image as a signature by overcoming the political, economic, and social contradictory structures of Korean society and securing transparency.

The honest and incorruptible Hwang Hee, a high-ranking official of the Joseon Dynasty, was originally a scholar who lived in Du-mun-dong but decided to enter politics because he thought he needed to serve the people directly. He began his political career as a "defector" from Du-mun-dong and spent over twenty years as the Chief State Councillor, maintaining a consistent devotion to serving the people. Despite the changing times, he believed that to help the world, one could not solely adhere to integrity and principles. Therefore, Hwang Hee left Du-mun-dong and became a highly esteemed and beloved statesman, remembered as one of the greatest ministers in Joseon history, serving the longest term and receiving the affection of everyone.

Let's turn the story around. Many people who visit Denmark say that it is only when they come to the front gate of the Copenhagen Parliament that they nod their heads and realize why Denmark is such a good country. There are four pillars at the main entrance to Christianbo Castle, the building of Copenhagen's parliament, and on top of the pillars there is a bust sculpture of troubled figures supporting a house with different expressions, as if carrying all the worries of the world.

It is said that these statues, showing such desperate contemplation, represent the figures pondering how to best serve the Danish people. When tourists visit Denmark, the guides explain that the members of the Danish Parliament view these statues every day upon arriving at work to remind themselves of the mindset needed to serve the country and its people.

Indeed, if we do not forget that the path of politics for the sake of people is also the path to national and social development, then I too must follow serious contemplation and action on what I should do for the country and its people.

☆ Author:  Atty Jeong-kee Kim ☆

● Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Summa Cum Laude, State University of New York at Stony Brook
-  Doctor of Jurisprudence, Marquette University Law School
- Senior Executive Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- Research Scholar in North Korean Studies, Peking University

● Experience
- Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai
- Commissioner General for the Korean Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo
- CEO, Asia-Pacific Local Government Network for Economic and Social Development (CityNet)
- Secretary General, World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization(WeGO)
- Law Clerk, Milwaukee Circuit Court, USA
- Senior Attorney-at-Law, Dr & Aju LLC
- Distinguished Visiting Professor, World Economy Research Institute, Nanjing University
- Research Professor, Institute of Oriental Studies, Peking University
- Distinguished Professor, Graduate School of Political Science, Kookmin University
- Chair Professor, Graduate School of Business, Dongguk University
- First President of Soongsil Cyber University

● Publications
- Georo English Studies Series for College Students [10 volumes] (Georo Publishing)
- I Challenge the Possibility of One Percent (Chosun Ilbo)
- The Art of Negotiation (Cheongnyonneongsin Publishing)
- Korea and the World (Chekmidum Publishing)