While Hanara is promoting Lee Myung-bak (Mr. Hyundai) as an “economic president™”, an independent contender, who has better credentials, seems to be gaining in popularity and, IMHO, this is good news.
Moon Kook-hyun, an experienced former CEO of Yuhan-Kimberly Ltd. is in the presidential race, except, unlike the other candidates, he has the most meaningful qualifications and background of any candidate yet. Judging from the written reports of his work in streamlining business management at Yuhan-Kimberly, Mr. Moon has practical experience rather than PR experience:
It is no surprise that Moon adapted his self-created concept of ‘environmental management’ into Yuhan-Kimberly where waste of resources was reduced to a minimum and inputs are used more effectively. He argued that not many people were concerned about environmental aspects and how many companies operated only about 34% of their W10-billion equipments’ capacity, because they did not run the machines at night or during the holidays. Moon realized that by not operating the equipments at full capacity, many Korean companies saw their debt ratio grow and their profitability remain low. A company could have great facilities but be low in efficiency.The environmental chief stresses the importance of not discharging materials which pollute water and air. In order to implement this type of production, the system and process had to be changed. As a small example, Moon took the instance of digital printing technology, which produces excellent printed items without using a drop of water. Moon is proud of the successful business re-engineering his company achieved, such as that of making streamlined regulations suitable for the new era and eliminating unnecessary ones. . . “Even during the Asian financial crisis, we announced no layoff because more workers were needed for the two-shift system. The system is equivalent to the job sharing in Western countries. With free leasure time, the employees can study other languages like English and learn how to operate computer systems. All of the employees own a personal computer at home for which the company supported 70% of the costs. Most employees have fast connection to the Internet using ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) modems. Most of my staff can make their reports in English and I encourage them to study further by supporting their post-graduate studies.”
Chosun Ilbo, 01.19.2001
I am more impressed by someone like Mr. Moon, who has a better far-reaching concept of the relationship of business, society and the environment than anyone else running. IMHO, Korea needs better than wasteful canal-style management, whose roots lie in the past and not the future.
The vision and management concept of Mr. Moon is the future.
16 Comments
Woah, that one slips more than a bit into the realm of advocacy. Since you are not Korean, I guess the National Election Commission will not come looking for you.
Sometimes it is good to be an outsider Andy, even if one is an independent candidate.
PUUULEASE. “practical experience rather than PR experience”?
Elgin, did YOU actually write that? Or did you copy it from somewhere. First of all, that article that you quoted from regarding Moon is 100% PR. Who do you think wrote it? The reporter?? In this case, the reporter merely translated the Korean release that Moon’s press handlers put out.
Second of all, are you saying that Lee Myung-bak is all hype and no pracical experience?
It’s hard to know quite how to address that other than to say you ought to pull your head out of the sand. Moon’s not such a bad guy from what I’ve seen but you’re not really going to compare his “practical experience” versus Lee’s “practical experience,” are you?
Your post reads like you got your knickers in a twit over this guy. And about the Canal: everyone knows it’s dead. They never even talk about it anymore so stop, er, dredging it up.
mjw seems to have forgotten his anger management medicine lately, resulting in angry, insulting, and unnecessarily rude assaults on the guest posters.
Ross Perot and Steve Forbes agree with you.
Propaganda alert?
Not to get sucked into the initial debate above, I think we can all agree that as credible being CEO of Yuhan Kimberly Moon may have been, he was on a much lower level of management scale than when Lee was heading up his multinational Hyundai business unit. Most Korean business people wouldn’t put those two companies into the same circle.
But more important, I don’t think this nation can benefit by having another amateur government leader. Moon has never been elected to the Korean equivalent of dog catcher and now he thinks he can lead a national government without government experience of any kind. To me, no matter what his track record may be, that kind of thinking red flags a potential nutter who is just waiting to be exposed. I just hope we don’t see that exposure coming from within the Blue House. We have been down that path too many times during these past five years.
And if I may make one, last point, it would be that Moon is waiting for the current crowd of yo-yos to come over and make him their candidate. Should that happen, Korea could not only elect to the ROK presidency an inexperienced, starry-eyed executive from a medium-sized company, but also reinstall a whole slew of hangers-on that we are all too well familiar.
Be afraid. Be very afraid!
You know, I could have mentioned the JoongAng Ilbo article and asked for comments but the response would have been less fun!
Seriously though, as Tom mentions, Hyundai is a larger corporate concern than the Korean division of Kimberly-Clark but, considering the level of corruption (read the news) and lack of vision in Hannara, would a former Hyundai executive, fronted by Hannara, be good for Korea’s future or just a lesser evil (as Tom implies)?
Based upon his record, I doubt that Mr. Lee will suddenly develop insight and wisdom.
Amateur leader? Well by all definitions in a democracy all leaders will be amateur. So said all professional leaders will be dictators.
Park Geun Hye was my choice and by default Lee Min Nok will be my next choice as I think he will do the least damage.
A lot of crap is said that will not fly in a primary and now we will see real choices.
Those who govern least govern best. This country is consistently mortgaging a future built on bigger government. The public is not suckers and in the end they will make the right choices.
I will support Lee Min Bok all the way but I will never tell him he deserves to win because the opposition is amateurish. Those part of the pig manure voting public are something that should be ignored. Mr. Lee needs to focus on his public support and earn their respect not by name calling or diminishing those who challenge him. The primary is over, the infighting is over, and now is the time to a singular message out – time to do better. Anything other than a positive is a negative – stay on message!
The people who post here sometimes can bend the ear of those who will have influence in government. That being the case do not use words like amateur to substantiate meaningless ad hominem attacks.
Amateur? Does that mean there should be a professional school for politicians?
CMM: Ok, I’ll take your admonishment and raise you an apology for R.Elgin.
But just for the unnecessary snarkiness.
I still think it was a thoughtless and naive post. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with advocation. IWSHIM lays out his cards quite clearly above, and who can fault him? But the original post was dripping in schoolboy adoration and all of it based on something he read in the ye ol’ chosun.
You’ll just have to excuse me for calling a spade a spade.
Thanks “mjw” for the apology.
I sympathize with your irritation but I actually did an internet search for material on Mr. Moon. I only quoted that one older Chosun Ilbo article as a point of discussion. The guy is not bad at all and what I have read on him is better than what I have found on Mr. Lee.
I do not have much appreciation for Hyundai corporate culture either since, at best, it is much like a day old fish in the moonlight; it, at once, shines yet stinks.
Because, of course, building Hyundai Construction into one Korea’s largest corporations and being a popular and successful mayor of a city of 11 million people hardly counts as “qualifications.”
No, it’s not good news. He is another silly bugger. While he has no practical chance of winning the election, as a businessman he’ll just take votes away from Lee rather than from those on the Left, thus favouring the chances of the anti-American, pro-North Lefties in the end.
Though I’m not ready to throw support behind Moon or anyone else in the race for that matter, Lee Myeong Bak’s Hyundaification worries me.
Yes, he was mayor of Seoul, but it seems from his comments in the press that the Hyundai culture is still deeply engrained in his thinking. (See article recently translated on Korea Beat.)
I fear that Lee will take the Ross Perot stance and try to be CEO of Korea - he’s said as much. The problem with running a country vs. running a business is that legislators and bureaucrats do not equal employees and citizens do not equal customers. I’m not sure that Lee or his compatriots appreciate this.
Politics schmalitics.The world is doomed unless Big Money develops a conscience.
“ecorn” somewhat summarizes my reservations, especially if one has a chance to sample the Hyundai-style management attitudes, it is not reassuring.
Unfortunately, voting for presidential candidates (in any country) is like kissing all the frogs in a pond, hoping that one of them will magically turn into a prince.
It is only natural that the public should be reluctant to kiss Mr. Lee.