Who is You Jong-il?

Professor You Jong-il, 48, professor at the Korean Development Institute (KDI) School of Public Policy and Management, wrote the majority of then-candidate Roh’s economic platform and led a Roh’s research association during the 2002 election campaign. The lofty promises of "moving the administrative capital" and "an annual 7-percent growth rate" passed through his hands. It is no wonder that candidate Roh called him his "private professor."

Professor You took his Ph.D. in economics at Harvard in 1991, and taught at Notre Dame and Cambridge universities before taking a position at the Korea Development Institute’s Graduate School of Foreign Policy. He has also worked for the Ford Foundation and the International Labor Organization. During his undergraduate days in Korea, he was expelled twice for involvement in pro-democracy demonstrations. Many see him as a reform-minded scholar who values principles.

He became acquainted with then presidential hopeful Roh in April of 2001. It was Yun Seok-kyu, former Uri Party chief assembly planner, who introduced the two. One year You’s junior at Seoul University, Yun had left his position at the presidential office and was about to take up the task of making Roh Moo-hyun president. Professor You heard that Yun had decided on leaving the Blue House and was planning to consult with two people in his quest to see Roh elected; one of the two was assembly member Chun Jung Bae, the other one being Professor You himself. "Suddenly, he searched me out and started talking about Roh’s possibilities and his own logic. I thought his words made sense. That’s how [I became involved.]"

There was all kinds of speculation as to why Professor You did not participate in the president-elect’s Inauguration Committee, despite having played a huge role in the election of Roh Moo-hyun. The accepted opinion is that as Professor You’s desire for reform was too strong, he would be a burden on the new administration. After the Roh administration took office, Professor You served for only approximately one year on the Presidential Committee on Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative, without taking on any particular duties. It is said that he is close to Yun Seok-kyu, who introduced him to the president as well as to assembly member Chun Jung Bae. Yun is currently working as a planner for the Northeast Asia Research Institute, said to be gearing up for assemblyman Cheong’s presidential run.