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Former South Korean prime minister joins Board of Trustees
By Julianne Pepitone
Posted: 12/3/04, 1:21 AM EST Section: News
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Goh Kun, the former prime minister of South Korea, was named a voting member to the board this November after many discussions of the value of his international perspective and reputation, said Chair Emeritus Joe Lampe.
"We want individuals who can help the university through their wisdom and their hard work," Lampe said. "He had been approved a year ago, and it was just before he became prime minister. He wrote me a letter and said that he couldn't devote enough time to SU because of his position."
When Goh completed his two terms as prime minister, however, he contacted Tom Harblin of institutional advancement in the Women's Building and indicated that he still had an interest in becoming a member. Harblin said that the research of faculty of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs played an integral role in creating a relationship between Goh and the university.
Goh has received awards and recognitions from groups representing causes from feminism to civil rights to effective leadership. He aided rural development and reforestation policy as president of the Coalition of Environmental Movements.
While mayor of Seoul, he created a "10 Million Trees of Life" program in Seoul City and implemented more aggressive emissions standards. In 1999, the Korean Women's Federation recognized him with its Certificate in Recognition of Contribution to Women's Empowerment.
As part of his anti-corruption campaign, Goh created the Online Procedures Enhancement for Civil Applications (OPEN), a system in which the public can more closely monitor how their city government processes their affairs. Maxwell professor Stuart Thorson said that the system proved both innovative and integral to advancing the field in general.
Such innovations have helped Goh earn a great reputation as a civil servant, Harblin said.
"By fighting corruption through this open system, Korean citizens were able to come into city halls and avoid extra fees," he said. "He became a leader in using information technology for transparent governance, and he's been recognized widely for that."
A Korean National Assembly member and Minister of Home Affairs, Marine Affairs, Transportation and Agriculture, Goh has gained political experience in a variety of areas, allowing him to amass a breadth of knowledge.
