Lee Gi-jun (87), a leading scholar in Korea's engineering community who led the founding of The National Academy of Engineering of Korea and served as its first president (former Seoul National University president and former deputy prime minister), died on the 9th.
Born in Asan, South Chungcheong, the deceased graduated from Seoul National University High School and Seoul National University's College of Engineering with a degree in chemical engineering, earned a master's degree from the same graduate school, and received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Washington in the United States. In 1971, Lee joined Seoul National University as a professor in chemical engineering and mentored students for more than 30 years. Lee served as dean of the College of Engineering in 1990 and as president of Seoul National University in 1998.
In 1996, Lee founded The National Academy of Engineering of Korea, a think tank of the nation's top engineers, and became its first president. During the Park Chung-hee administration, the former president served as an adviser on policies to upgrade industrial manpower and cemented the belief that "science and technology talent is the key to national development." Since then, Lee worked to broaden the base of engineering and to build an environment where younger generations can dream of becoming engineers.
Lee served as deputy prime minister and Minister of Education and Human Resources in 2005, as president of the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies from 2008 to 2011, and as chair of the board at Korea Polytechnic University in 2012. Lee's father, Lee Jun-yeol, was a member of the second graduating class of the Higher Technical School, the predecessor of Seoul National University's College of Engineering.
Spouse Jang Seong-ja, former head of the Korean Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education (KIGEPE), said, "The most important thing my husband did was founding The National Academy of Engineering of Korea in 1995," adding, "After President Park Chung-hee instructed the Ministry of Education in the early 1970s to 'find ways to upgrade the industrial workforce by one level,' the government asked my husband, who had just returned from studying in the United States, for advice. It started there, and he then devoted his life to researching ways to upgrade the industrial workforce."
During Lee's tenure as president of the federation, Lee also worked to build networks connecting Korean scientists overseas. Lee's books include "Principles of Chemical Engineering," "Reaction Engineering," "Transport Phenomena," and "The Era of Engineering-Technology Convergence."
Lee is survived by spouse Jang Seong-ja; two sons, Lee Dong-ju and Lee Seong-ju (professor, School of Electrical Engineering, KAIST); daughters-in-law, Im Mi-ran and Lee Ji-young; and grandsons, Lee Han-ung, Lee Han-seo, and Lee Han-jun. The wake is at Seoul National University Hospital Funeral Hall, Room Special 1; the funeral is at 6:30 a.m. on the 11th; and the burial is in the family burial ground in Asan, South Chungcheong.