Young-gil Song, Mayor of Incheon, Korea to lecture May 14

Young-gil Song, Mayor of Incheon, to lecture May 14

Rising star in Korean politics will speak on Incheon’s role in global economy

A talk by the Honorable Young-gil Song, mayor of Incheon, South Korea, will spotlight “Incheon City: A Mayor’s Vision” on Monday, May 14, at 3:30 pm in Wang Center Lecture Hall 2. An energetic politician known for human rights advocacy, Song is drawing attention for his plans to revive Incheon City through enhanced global integration.

Student leader, union activist, human rights lawyer and passionate advocate of globalization and economic equality, Young-gil Song has been a strong voice for democracy since he became the first directly elected president of Yonsei University’s student council and participated in the democratic movement with students from other universities.

In 1985 Song was sent to prison for a year and a half for violating the Law on Assembly and Demonstration. Following his release, he worked as a laborer and as a taxi driver for seven years, and at the age of 30 took the national bar exam to challenge human rights violations and improve unfair treatment of the underprivileged.

In June 2010 he was elected mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, which has led the economic development of Korea by opening its port to the outside world. As mayor, Song is spearheading the effort for Incheon City to become an active participant in the global economy.

The event is free and open to the public. A question-and-answer session will follow the lecture.

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