First female university president tapped as education minister
President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday nominated Lee Jin-sook, former president of Chungnam National University, as South Korea's new education minister.
Lee, 65, is known for being the first female president of a flagship national university and is highly regarded for her leadership in higher education.
A graduate of Chungnam National University's architectural engineering program, she earned a master's degree in architectural planning from the same institution and a doctorate in environmental architectural planning from Tokyo Institute of Technology.
After joining her alma mater in 1989 as a professor, she then became the school's first female president in its 68-year history.
Lee's nomination is seen as aligning with the administration's key pledge to develop '10 Seoul National Universities' by investing in nine regional flagship universities. As head of the initiative during the presidential campaign, she emphasized education as a tool for regional revitalization and equity.
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Korea Herald
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