Emerson Pacific Chairman Lee Joong-myung holds special lecture on leadership He lives true to the notion of noblesse oblige, serving the community, supporting schools at the risk of closing down with his private funding, helping teens who were at juvenile hall to get back on track. On November 12th, Lee Joong-myung, Chairman of Emerson Pacific Group, gave a special lecture titled “Leadership for Success” at Yonsei University organized by the Yonsei’s Leadership Center. Originally from Buyeo in South Chungcheong Province, Lee started studying architectural engineering at Yonsei University in 1967. He established Joongang Tourism Development Company in 1995 and started a business in golf and leisure. In 2004, the company was renamed as Emerson Pacific Group and currently operates 6 golf clubs and 3 resorts in Korea. Its daily average tax payment is known to be around 54 million won. However, Lee’s success did not come easily. He was on the verge of bankruptcy three times, but he overcame the crises to build his company to what it is today. He did not spend an affluent childhood. When he started studying at Yonsei, his family’s economic situation made it difficult for him to pay the tuition and buy books. He remembers that, “My physics book was the thickest one I had. I sold it to a secondhand book store and used the money for the bus fares to school. I drank tap water in the bathroom for lunch.” What drove him to success despite the disadvantages and obstacles he had to face? He emphasized 3 things. First, have the ability to love. He recommended students a book, The Secret, noting that “The 1% of people who succeed in life got there by giving to others. Doing so, you make those people be on your side.” Second, be positive. He said, “I built a golf resort on a mud flat in Namhae. Samsung and other conglomerates saw the site and said that development was impossible. However, I saw potential and started a golf resort project. Now, the site is drawing a lot of people.” Ever since, Lee was called “The Hand of Midas.” Third, be creative. He talked about the Aomori apple as an example. He said that, “A typhoon caused all the Aomori apples to fall from the trees making them unmarketable. The district of Aomori depended on the apple cultivation for 90% of its income. The Aomori people were in distress. Then, they came up with an idea to sell the apples that did not fall from the tree calling them the “Approved Apples.” They were a great success. ” Lee is also known as the man who saved Namhae Middle and High School from closing and transformed it into a prestigious institution. In 2006, at the request of the Namhae governor, he acquired Haeseong Hakwon and made a personal donation of 8 billion won for the construction of a dormitory for all the students. The number of students from Namhae High School getting admissions into Yonsei is also increasing annually. These students are given a full 4-year scholarship. “I hesitated when they asked me to take over the school management. It was a new field for me,” he said. He was then struck by an idea – to not interfere in the management directly, but to trust and have faith in the school principal. He said that, “I washed the feet of the principal and asked him to guide the students with love and care. The principal was much moved and he started to cry.” Lee is currently focusing on getting into shape amidst the relay of meetings and his busy schedule. He explained that, “I have to exercise hard to live to be more than a 100 years old. When I am confident enough, I plan on putting my picture in my business card.” He can also be found on campus in one of the music classrooms practicing his singing once a week. “I aim to release an album next year.” Lee is still involved in Yonsei as the honorary vice-president of the Yonsei University Alumni Association and the president of the Yonsei Engineering College Alumni Association. In May, he received the Yonsei Social Service Award for his contribution in helping the needy and being an exemplary intellect with a heart. When he heard about a girl who attempted suicide by setting fire on herself, he felt the urgency to help teenagers in trouble. It led him to introduce a golf caddy fostering program leading the movement for donation of talent by companies. Age is not an issue for Lee whose endless efforts in his endeavors are the force behind his success. He is indeed the epitome of noblesse oblige.