Lee Charm

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Korean spelling
Hangeul 이참
Hanja 李 參
Revised
Romanization 		I Cham
McCune-
Reischauer 		Yi Ch'am

Lee Charm (born Bernhard Quandt on April 3, 1954 in Bad Kreuznach ) is a German- South Korean television presenter and actor . He was President of the National Tourism Authority of South Korea from August 2009 to November 2013.

biography

childhood and education

Bernhard Quandt was born in Bad Kreuznach in 1954 as the eldest of six children of Helga and Gerhard Quandt . His parents ran a small laundry on Bosenheimer Strasse from 1954 to 1989 . At the Stadtmauergymnasium, where he was also head of school , he passed the Abitur and studied theology and Romance studies in Mainz to become a teacher. After graduation, he became involved in an international cultural foundation that worked closely with the Unification Church . One day I asked if he would like to go to South Korea for six months to organize events for the church. Although he knew nothing about the country, he immediately accepted. Since he had just finished his teaching degree at the time , Bernhard Quandt traveled to South Korea in 1978 shortly before his legal clerkship to work as a high school teacher .

Career in South Korea

According to his own account, he just wanted to get to know new things, but then "fell in love with people". After six months in the country, he took part in a speech contest for foreigners on state television, although at the time he had hardly any command of Korean . He prepared a six-minute speech (headline of the speech: “Korea - Land of Hope”), had a friend translate it and then learned it by heart. Bernhard Quandt won the prestigious competition and then appeared on several talk shows . As a European, he was an attraction. He then received many supporting roles in television productions, was hired as a television presenter for cultural, game and cooking shows and appeared in numerous commercials . Quandt also taught as a language teacher, first at the Goethe Institute , then at schools and universities, and advised South Korean companies on economic issues.

South Korean citizen

In 1986, Quandt was the first German ever to take South Korean citizenship . He was also the first male foreigner ever to be naturalized. For years this was only possible for women from abroad by marrying a South Korean. The South Korean citizenship law allows a new name to be entered in the new passport . Bernhard Quandt chose the name Lee Han-woo ( Kor . 이한우 , Han-woo translated means: “Friend of Korea”), later he changed his name to Lee Charm (“to participate”, “to participate”).

At the beginning of the nineties, Lee Charm's life story was filmed on South Korean television as the soap opera The House of Many Daughters - he took on the lead role himself. Originally 50 episodes were planned, but ratings of up to 70 percent were the rule and he - as a foreigner - the most attractive woman in the series, there was opposition. A local rival was integrated into the plot and the viewers were asked to decide for themselves who would emerge from the love contest as the winner in the end. The majority chose Lee Charm.

Due to his popularity , Lee Charm was also asked to enter South Korean politics , which he always refused at first. In August 2009, he then took up the position as head of the Korean Tourism Organization. He was the first naturalized citizen to hold high government office in South Korea. He resigned on November 15, 2013 after media reports surfaced of alleged visits to Soaplands .

Private

Quandt married the South Korean Yong-bok ( 용복 ) in 1982 . In 2010 his son Kay-soo (* approx. 1986) studied mathematics in Heidelberg and his daughter Mikah (* approx. 1990) studied international relations at Ewha Womans University in Seoul .

In addition to his mother tongue German and the local language Korean, Lee Charm also speaks English, French, Latin and Italian. He says he is learning Chinese and Japanese.

Positions and offices

  • 1992–1994: Board member of the German-Korean Chamber of Industry and Commerce
  • 2000–2006: CEO of Charmsmart Inc.
  • 2000–2002: Member of the "Visit Korea Year Committee"
  • 2001–2008: President of Bigwell Inc.
  • 2002–2003: Member of the KTF Supervisory Board
  • 2004–2007: Management consultant to Kia Motors
  • 2007–2008: Business Advisor to Yeil Accounting Corp.
  • since May 2009: Member of the Korean Food Promotion Committee
  • 2009-2013: CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)

Works (selection)

Series

  • 1994-1995: KBS 딸 부잣집
  • 1995-1996: KBS1 찬란한 여명
  • 1995-1996: MBC 4 공화국
  • 2003-2004: SBS 천국 의 계단 (Stairway to Heaven)
  • 2004–2005: SBS 러브 스토리 인 하버드
  • 2005: MBC 제 5 공화국 (5th Republic)
  • 2006: KBS 서울 1945 (Seoul 1945)
  • 2007: SBS 로비스트 (lobbyist)
  • 2007-2008: MBC 뉴 하트 (New Heart)
  • 2008: SBS / Bayerischer Rundfunk 압록강 은 흐른다 ( The Yalu flows )
  • 2008–2009: MBC 에덴 의 동쪽 (East of Eden)
  • 2009: KTV 이참 의 업그레이드 코리아

Movies

Books

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Allgemeine Zeitung - Deepening the relationship with South Korea
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Michael Müller: Der Charme des Charm in: faz.de from March 17, 2010.
  3. ^ A b c Anne Lemhöfer: Cham Lee on South Korea: A true friend , in: zeit.de of March 22, 2012.
  4. ↑ Lee Charm denies soapland story but quits KTO . Korea JoongAng Daily, November 16, 2013.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Kim Seon-mi: Lee Charm: "Shamanism, Literati Culture and Neo-Confucianism are Korea's Attractive Tourist Resources." in: Korea Focus , August 1, 2009.
  6. ↑ Malte E. Kollenberg: The Arnold Schwarzenegger South Korea , in: Merian from March 2011.
Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Korean. Lee is the family name here, Charm is the first name.
personal data
SURNAME Lee, Charm
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Quandt, Bernhard (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-South Korean television presenter and actor
DATE OF BIRTH April 3, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH Bad Kreuznach