Hwang Changyu and 3 Others Chosen as Asian Stars

Justice Minister Kang Keum-sil(46) and 3 other Koreans were listed as the “25 Asian Stars of Asia” in the Business Week, a business magazine.

The Business Week introduced 25 stars of the Asia in the latest issue (June 9) who have overcome difficult challenges in respect to areas such as policy making, cooperation management, social crisis.

Kim Joo-young (38), the executive director of ‘the center for good corporate governance,’ Hwang Changyu(50), president of the memory department of the Samsung electronics Inc. and Kim Ssang-soo(58), the vice president of LG electronics Inc, were also included in the list. The magazine has been choosing the stars of Asia every year for 5 years now.

“Minster Kang is short and speaks in a soft tone. You shouldn’t misjudge her as an easy going person. She has a firm willingness for Independence of the judiciary and eradication of corruption,” said the magazine.

The appointment of Minster Kang on February was once heavily criticized as some said it broke the balance of the rank order and the appointment custom, she has handled current issues well with her firm belief, the magazine praised her. Her record of having being the first woman district judge for the criminal court, the first elected vice-president for Minbyun, ‘Lawyers for a democratic society’, and the only woman lawyer who is ranked in the top ten of the justice department.

Executive director Kim was selected as an Asia`s star who strives hard to reform wrong management customs of big corporations and protect small investors. Kim graduated from the law school of the Seoul National University and had a stunning career. He once worked for a legal firm, Kim & Chang. However, he devoted himself in people`s movement later to reform the cooperate hierarchy system. Kim also won a stock manipulation case of Sejong Hitech representing 342 investors in 2002 against 6 related institutes of the manipulation. The court ordered the 6 institutes to pay 2.1 billion won to the investors.

Norbert Vollertsen(45), a physicians belonging to a German aid organization who worked for a hospital in Pyongyang for 18 months was also selected as a star.

Madeleine Korbel Albright, the former U.S. Secretary of State who has strived hard to reveal the terrible condition of North Korea was also selected as a star. In addition, Hu Jintao, President of China and Gusmão, President of East Timor, Wang Chanfoo, the president of BYD, a rechargeable battery manufacturer in China and Yao Ming, a Chinese player of Houston Rockets in the U.S. MBA were selected among the 25 stars.

Seung-Jin Kim sarafina@donga.com