President of Korea Lee Myung-bak has appointed Yu Woo-ik, a Professor of Geography (social geography, regional developments) at Seoul National University (SNU) and Secretary General of the International Geographical Union his Chief of Staff, ”the number two man in the new government” and only minister level position in the Blue House, the Korean equivalent of the White House in the United States. All presidential advisors and secretaries report to Professor Yu.
Yu has been a key advisor to President Lee (‘Lee’s mentor’) since Lee served as the Mayor of Seoul. Yu helped Lee set policies as a member of his advisory committee. Their first encounter occurred in the mid-1990s when Lee visited Yu asking for his help with regional development policies.
In 2004 Yu headed a think tank that helped President Lee design major policies such as the Inland Waterway Project (a cross-country canal) and he has often written speeches for Lee. It is generally said that Yu’s future vision parallels Lee’s ‘future –oriented and creative pragmatism.’
Since 1980, Yu has served as an advisor to former Korean presidents. He was a member of the Presidential Committee for the 21st Century from 1989 to 1991, and Secretary General of the President’s Committee for Policy Planning from 1994 to 2006.
Yu was Born in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography at SNU in 1971 and 1973 respectively, he earned his Ph.D at the Univeristy of Kiel, Germany in 1980. He then gave lectures as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley in the United, and the University of Paris (the Sorbonne) in France
The Inland Waterway Project
Inland waterway development will produce numerous economic effects
It was Yu who introduced President Lee to the Inland Waterway Development Project, which later on became a major component of President Lee’s campaign platform.
The Inland Waterway Project will link Seoul and Busan with a 540 km waterway that includes 40 km of man-made canal. Total construction costs are estimated at 16 trillion won (16 billion USD) over the four-year construction period. The project is expected to have tremendous economic effects by creating 300,000 jobs, stimulating project-related industries, and spurring development in regional and local economies. The project is also expected to produce numerous long-term benefits, including better quality water and the development of tourism and leisure industries, including river boat excursion travel. The waterway is the largest civil construction project in the history of Korea, with huge implications for the country’s future. Understandably, it is a major issue among the Korean people.
The Inland Waterway Research Committee that guides project planning is composed of 200 specialists in the seven areas of environment, ecology, history, culture, economy, and engineering. Yu has pledged positive support for the Project in order to make it as environment-friendly, economical, and safe as possible.
As Chief of Staff for President Lee, Yu plans to erase the old image of the Blue House as a place from which power is wielded for questionable purposes. He has instructed all presidential staff to be accurate, humble, and modest in their work on behalf of the Korean people.
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