Kim Dong Yeon, the governor of the Gyeonggi province — the largest province in South Korea — presented the 11th annual Sang-Yong Nam lecture on democracy at the University of Michigan Museum of Art Monday afternoon. About 100 students and Ann Arbor community members attended the event, which was hosted by the Nam Center for Korean Studies along with the Ford School of Public Policy.
Kim earned his doctorate from the School of Public Policy in 1993 and has served as a Korean government official since 2014. After serving as the Minister of Economy and Finance and the Deputy Prime Minister of the country, Kim took office as governor on July 1, 2022.
The event is also where the Sang-Yong Nam Award is presented, which annually grants $3,000 to a graduating senior or a recent graduate of the Korean Studies program. Nam Sang-Yong, the namesake of the Center for Korean Studies, was the department’s largest benefactor, having donated more than $4 million to the program.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily at the lecture, LSA junior Jinny Kim said it was a special event because it commemorated Nam and his contributions to the department.
“I think this event is really big because it’s the one time that the Nam family comes out to celebrate (since) their father’s passing and also just what he has done for our center,” Jinny Kim said.
LSA senior Olivia Daniel was announced as this year’s recipient of the Sang-Yong Nam Award. LSA Dean Anne Curzan presented the award.
“The Nam Center shares Elder Nam’s commitment to create important connections across campus and around the world,” Curzan said.
In her acceptance speech, Daniel spoke about how the center facilitated her interest in Korean studies and culture.
“I immersed myself in Korean culture through Nam Center events, studied abroad at Yonsei University and presented at academic conferences devoted entirely to Korean studies,” Daniel said. “I am so grateful that I have been able to contribute to this vibrant community.”
Following the award presentation, Kim Dong Yeon began his lecture, with some parts given in Korean and other parts in English. Korean literature professor Ryu Youngju served as a translator for the Korean portions of Kim’s lecture.
Kim began the lecture by discussing his experiences as a Korean student studying in the United States at the University of Michigan. He said he hoped to provide other students from all socioeconomic backgrounds in his country with the same opportunity. Kim recalled visiting a group of middle school students who felt as though financial limitations prevented them from studying overseas.
“I asked myself, ‘Okay, I’ve given them hope, but would they be able to realize their hope if they have a dream?’ ” Kim said. “The so-called spoon metaphor — being born with a silver, golden spoon in your mouth — is increasingly characterizing Korean society.”
Kim spoke about the “After You” Program, which he created during his tenure as the president of Ajou University in the Gyeonggi province. He said the program was intended to provide funding for students who want to study abroad, but might not be able to afford to do so.
Kim said he hopes to give students living in the Gyeonggi province a chance to study at the University of Michigan through the Gyeonggi Youth Ladder, a program that helps make study abroad experiences financially feasible for students, similar to the “After You” Program. Kim said Korean students will likely be in Ann Arbor as soon as this summer.“(The students) will be here in July,” Kim said. “If you see them, please say hello and please make them feel at home.”
Kim went on to discuss modern Korean politics for the remainder of the lecture, citing two issues in Korean society: political polarization and the “winner-take-all” system — which he describes as Korean elites consolidating political power.
“The consequence of this structure and the deepening of this problem is by polarization in both the economy and politics in South Korea,” Kim said. “Bi-polarization leads to greater conflict and to further black-and-white representation of reality.”
The current president of South Korea is Yoon Suk-Yeol, a member of the right-wing People Power Party. The country’s other major political party is the centrist-liberal Democratic Party, of which Kim is a member. The polarization between the two parties stems in part from allegations of corruption made against Yoon and former Korean president Moon Jae-In, who is a member of the Democratic Party.
Kim said he believes there are a few ways to reduce political polarization and the issues it causes. He suggested supporting local start-ups to bolster the domestic economy, focusing on climate change, allowing for increased social mobility, discouraging political entrenchment and encouraging more youth participation in politics.
“As a Wolverine, my promise to you and my request to you is to take interest in me, what I do in the province,” Kim said. “My goal would be to selflessly devote myself to the very necessary changes that the times are demanding.”
Daily Staff Reporter Ji Hoon Choi can be reached at jicho@umich.edu.