Club’s new leadership offers a new direction

Daniel W. Lee.

A multinational social club in Seoul has welcomed Daniel W. Lee as its first Korean president. The California-trained lawyer from the Kim & Chang, Korea’s biggest law firm, recently was appointed by the executive committee of the Seoul club, which made the announcement last Wednesday.
Lee will finish the remaining term of the former president, John Gustaveson, the executive vice-president of SC First Bank, who had to leave Korea for personal reasons.
Usually, the president of the club serves for two years and a new appointment is decided by a vote among the members.
The founding president of the Seoul Club was the personal advisor of Syngman Rhee, Korea’s first president.
Since then, for 50 years, the president of the club has been a foreigner.
The Seoul Club is a gathering place with both Korean and foreign members. It has around 1,400 members, half of them are Korean.
“As a Korean president I will put emphasis on supporting our foreign members so they can have a broader and deeper understanding of Korean society and culture,” Lee said.
Lee said he want the club’s charity events to be more participatory ― in the past most of the participation has been in the form of donations. More communication and exchanges with the local community will also be encouraged, Lee said. The amount of donation funds will be increased by a more prudent operation of the organization.
“Quite a large number of foreign opinion-makers in Korea have their initial contact with the country through our club,” Lee said. “We were the bridge between Korea and the world for more than a century.” Members share ideas and meet for sports activities, meals and seminars. Lee holds business meetings at the club during the week and brings his wife and son on weekends to enjoy food and athletic activities.
Lee is a graduate of the law school at San Francisco University. He has worked at law firms in Los Angeles and came to Korea 10 years ago.

The Seoul Club is the country’s oldest membership-based social club and was originally called the Foreigners’ Club.
Based on a letter from Emperor Gojong, the club was established in 1904 as a place where Koera’s international set socialize. Jungmyeongjeon, the imperial library, was the club’s first headquarters, lent to them free of charge by the emperor.
The club has a restaurant, swimming pool, health club, a golf range and a seminar room. The members are foreign executives of multinational firms, diplomats and executives of Korean companies actively engaged with foreign companies. There are members from 52 countries. Candidates for membership are required to be sponsored by two current members. Successful candidates have to wait for an opening to be available, which happens only when another member leaves. Membership costs approximately 60 million won ($63,720).

By Park Hyun-young JoongAng Ilbo [yhwang@joongang.co.kr]