[FOUNTAIN]Study group still forges strong ideas

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[FOUNTAIN]Study group still forges strong ideas

“A human society needs love as well as law and order. A society without love is bleak and indifferent. However, a society itself cannot exist when law and order are not respected.”
Former Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Cho Sun has a refreshing insight, balance and rhetoric. His words are vitamins for our minds. You can attend a weekly breakfast meeting hosted by the Human Development CEO Forum Thursdays at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, downtown Seoul.
After a lecture by an expert of the day on management, administration, arts, technology, religion, politics or securities, Mr. Cho, the honorary chairman, delivers a closing remark for five to 10 minutes. His speech always contains condensed wisdom. The previous comment came last month after a lecture by Minister of Justice Kim Seung-kyu.
The Human Development CEO Forum is considered a high-class study group among businessmen. The forum is so prestigious that those who are asked to speak find it hard to turn down. Generally, the lectures are entertaining, moving or helpful. Anyone interested in human management can attend the meeting.
However, diligence is a must-have qualification. The members, who are in their 30s to 70s, are morning people who enjoy the early morning air. They like to ask questions and learn something new. They are seeking answers to their own questions. Sometimes they are opinionated. However, they are curious to gain new knowledge or hear about other people’s experiences. Sitting among these curious people revitalizes you and makes you upbeat. The learning network isn’t determined by personal friendships, generational gaps, regional tendencies or political differences.
On Feb. 3, the forum celebrates its 30th year anniversary with its 1,388th Thursday meeting. It might be the oldest morning study group in the country. The first meeting was held on Thursday, Feb. 5, 1975, and meetings were scheduled monthly. For 30 years, the meeting has never been canceled. The consistency and diligence reflect the philosophy of chairman and founder Chang Man-key, who believes that the core of good management is not money but people. Let’s give a big round of applause to the Human Development CEO Forum for continuing its good work.


by Chun Young-gi

The writer is a deputy political news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.
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