SEOUL – Columbia University tops the overseas university list for South Korea’s business dynasties, with Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin and his son Shin Yoo-yeol among the 22 chaebol family members who studied there.
A survey released Wednesday by corporate research firm CEOScore also found that nearly 94 percent of fourth- and fifth-generation members of conglomerate-owning families had studied abroad.
The survey examined the educational backgrounds of 350 members of the controlling families behind 89 major business groups.
New York University followed Columbia with 18 attendees, while Cornell University ranked third with 16.
Both Shin family members earned MBAs at Columbia. Lee Sun-ho, head of CJ Group’s future planning group, studied financial economics there.
New York University attendees included former Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-sung, who earned an MBA, while Kolon Vice Chairman Lee Kyu-ho studied hotel management at Cornell.
Outside the United States, China’s Tsinghua University and Japan’s Keio University had the most attendees, with four each.
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong earned an MBA at Keio. Shin Yoo-yeol, an executive vice president at Lotte Corp., studied environment and information studies there before pursuing his MBA at Columbia, while Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon earned a master’s degree in political science at Keio.
Younger generations head abroad earlier
The survey showed a marked generational shift in overseas education.
Among fourth- and fifth-generation family members, 46 of 49, or 93.9 percent, studied abroad. That compared with just two of 34 founders, or 5.9 percent.
The proportion reached 67.9 percent among second-generation family members, with 76 of 112 having studied overseas. Among the third generation, the figure was 78.7 percent, or 122 of 155.
Younger family members also tended to begin their overseas education earlier.
Among the first three generations, many earned undergraduate degrees in Korea before pursuing MBAs or other graduate studies abroad. Fourth- and fifth-generation members were more likely to leave during their school years or enroll directly in overseas undergraduate programs.
Of the 46 overseas-educated members in the youngest generations, 33, or 71.7 percent, attended foreign universities from the undergraduate level.
Korea University leads domestic list
Korea University was the most frequently attended domestic university, with 54 chaebol family members.
Its alumni also included SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who studied physics, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, who studied business administration.
Seoul National University followed with 50, including Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong, who studied East Asian history.
Yonsei University ranked third with 35, including Amorepacific Group Chairman Suh Kyung-bae, who studied business administration.
Ewha Womans University followed with 26, including Shinsegae’s Lee Myung-hee, who studied applied arts.
ANN/The Korea Herald
