Today (28th) at 10 p.m., TV CHOSUN's 'Modern Figures History Mr. Lee' highlights the turbulent life of the late Kim Woo-joong, former chairman of the Daewoo Group, known as 'a pioneer of globalization.' The last interview he gave in his lifetime will be broadcast for the first time.
In the 1980s, as he rose to become the fourth-largest chaebol in the business world, Kim Woo-joong turned the Daewoo Group into a global corporation with the philosophy that 'the world is wide and there is much to be done.' He started his career as an ordinary salaryman at a trading company. While on his way to meet his girlfriend studying in London, he obtained an export contract in Singapore, which was a layover, and returned to Korea. After he switched from work to romance, he ended his seven years as a salaried worker and founded Daewoo Industrial with initial capital of 5 million won in 1967.
He dedicated himself to global management by residing overseas for 200 days out of 365. He built friendships with leaders from various countries and maintained economic exchanges with dictators such as Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Cuba's Fidel Castro, and North Korea's Kim Il-sung, capturing the world's attention. Kim Woo-joong and his wife Jung Hee-ja, who visited North Korea at the time, earned goodwill to the extent that Kim Il-sung told them, 'Spend 6 months in South Korea and 6 months in North Korea.'
In 1992, Kim Woo-joong prepared to run for president to realize his dream of becoming an economic president. However, the then-government of Roh Tae-woo opposed his candidacy and conducted intense tax investigations, prompting calls within the group to abandon his presidential ambitions. Nevertheless, his determination not to yield ultimately led him to declare his withdrawal from the race, reportedly influenced by the role of the monk who authored 'Non-Possession.'
Behind his success, however, lies a painful family history. After losing his eldest son in an unexpected traffic accident, Chairman Kim attracted public attention once more by adopting popular actor Lee Byung-hun as his stepson. The details behind his decision to adopt Lee Byung-hun will be revealed in the broadcast.
Following the upheaval of the IMF financial crisis and the disbandment of his group, he went into hiding abroad and became a wanted person internationally on charges of management corruption. After disappearing for 5 years and 8 months, he made a sudden return in 2005. He was later sentenced to a restitution fee of about 17 trillion won for accounting fraud and, in his later years, battled Alzheimer's disease. The show will analyze the highs and lows of Kim Woo-joong's life.
[Photo] Provided by TV CHOSUN
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