Lee Hae-chan explained

Honorific-Prefix:His Excellency
Lee Hae-chan
Native Name Lang:ko
Office1:Leader of the Democratic Party
Term Start1:25 August 2018
Term End1:29 August 2020
Predecessor1:Choo Mi-ae
Successor1:Lee Nak-yeon
Office2:32nd Prime Minister of South Korea
Term Start2:30 June 2004
Term End2:15 March 2006
President2:Roh Moo-hyun
Predecessor2:Goh Kun
Successor2:Han Myeong-sook
Office3:Member of the National Assembly
Term Start3:30 May 2012
Term End3:29 May 2020
Constituency3:Sejong
Predecessor3:Constituency established
Successor3:Hong Seong-guk, Gang Jun-hyeon
Term Start4:30 May 1996
Term End4:29 May 2008
Predecessor4:Lee Hae-chan
Successor4:Kim Hui-chul
Constituency4:Gwanak B (Seoul)
Term Start5:30 May 1988
Term End5:30 June 1995
Predecessor5:Yim Churl-soon, Kim Soo-han
Successor5:Lee Hae-chan
Constituency5:Gwanak B (Seoul)
Office6:38th Minister of Education
Term Start6:3 March 1998
Term End6:24 May 1999
President6:Kim Dae-jung
Predecessor6:Lee Myung-hyun
Successor6:Kim Duk-choong
Birth Date:1952 7, df=yes
Birth Place:Jangpyeong, South Chungcheong, South Korea
Party:Democratic
Alma Mater:Seoul National University
Website:www.hopechan.kr
Korean name
Hangul:이해찬
Rr:I Haechan
Mr:I Haech'an
Headercolor:lavender

Lee Hae-chan (; born 10 July 1952) is a South Korean politician who served as Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea from 2018 to 2020. He also served as Prime Minister of South Korea from 2004 to 2006.[1]

He served as Member of the National Assembly for the Gwanak District from 1988 to 1995 and 1996 to 2008. He served as Minister of Education under President Kim Dae-jung from 1998 to 1999. He presided over controversial education reforms including revamping the college entrance process and lowering the retirement age of teachers. He later served under President Roh Moo-hyun as Prime Minister of South Korea from July 2004 to March 2006.

On 27 August 2018, he was elected the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Political career

Minister for Education

Lee instituted reforms to the college admissions process. He was criticised for allegedly dramatically lowering the scholastic competence of the so-called Lee Hae-chan generation of then-high school students.

Prime Minister of South Korea

He was nominated by President Roh Moo-hyun for the office of Prime Minister of South Korea on 28 July 2004, and was approved by the National Assembly on 29 July. He took office on 30 July.

His nomination as prime minister was met with some resistance due to his record as minister of education, which many considered a failure. After taking office, however, Lee has proved an able prime minister, being described by some as the most powerful prime minister South Korea had seen.

Golf-game scandal

On 1 March 2006, the Korean Railroad Workers Union and Seoul Subway Union went on strike. The strike of railroad and subway unions at the same time proved to be a fatal blow to the nation's economic activity, especially Seoul area, where traffic heavily depended on subway, which was controlled by the two unions. Prime Minister Lee was supposed to command the situation and mediate the strike; however, he was playing golf at Busan area with local businessmen, and this caused outrage among Korean people against Lee for not taking care of the government and people.

See also

References

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: http://people.nate.com/people/info/le/eh/leehaechan/ . ko:이해찬 . Nate people . Korean . 22 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120222074051/http://people.nate.com/people/info/le/eh/leehaechan/ . 22 February 2012 . dead .