Koo Ja-yeol, chair of the LS Group board, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Waseda University in Japan.
According to LS Group, Koo attended the "Honorary Doctor of Laws Conferment Ceremony" held Oct. 18 at the Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, and received the degree. About 70 people attended, including Kim Dong-won, president of Korea University, Seung Myung-ho, president of the Korea University Alumni Association, Kim Yoon, chair of the Korea-Japan Economic Association, officials from the Korea International Trade Association, LS Group executives and employees, and Koo's family.
Waseda University highly evaluated Koo's significant contributions to promoting economic cooperation between Korea and Japan as chair of the Korea International Trade Association and a director of the Seto Forum. It also noted that his service as the 33rd president of the Korea University Alumni Association and as chair of the Development Committee positively influenced the evaluation for expanding international exchanges between the two schools. Korea University and Waseda University are sister schools.
Koo said that day, "The conferral of an honorary doctorate is a meaningful event symbolizing the trust and exchange between the two schools, and I believe it carries the expectation that I will become an exemplary leader for Korea and Japan," adding, "I will work even harder for active exchanges and development between the two countries."
Previously, the late Koo Du-hoe, honorary chair of Yesco, the late Lee Kun-hee, former chair of Samsung, and Yeom Jae-ho, former president of Korea University, had been awarded this degree.