Lee Namkyu

Mr. Lee was born in 1907 in Korea, during a time of brutal foreign occupation and extreme poverty. The sixth son of a family with limited resources, he was forced to fend for himself when his mother died. At 10 years old, without opportunities in Korea, he left home on his own for China. He learned the language, worked in coal mines, and scraped together meager savings.

More than anything, he wanted to go to school, so at age 13, he left China for Japan in search of formal schooling. Entirely independent, he attended school by day and worked as a janitor at night. Determined to study in the United States, he stowed away on a boat at age 15, and sailed to Seattle in hiding for three months. Discovered while disembarking, he was forced to return to Japan, but he stowed away again and succeeded in reaching Seattle where he studied for three years. After high school, he desperately wanted to attend college, but simply could not afford it, so he returned to Korea.

Fluent in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and English, one job led to another and he became the chief contractor for the US 8th Army. In time, he would go on to launch Seoul’s first public bus system, as well as a shipping line that would become Hanjin Shipping Company. Despite countless hardships, Mr. Lee maintained an openness to the needs of others and helped countless people live more enriched lives. By establishing the Lee Namkyu Endowed Financial Aid Fund, Dr. Kenneth ’92 and Dr. Laura Chang, with their children, Diego ’29 and Margo ’31, hope to perpetuate the determination and generosity embodied by Kenneth’s grandfather and to inspire future generations.

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Punahou School

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