One of the benefits of my job is spending time with the RI presidents and getting to know them. Thankfully, they all show great interest in The Rotarian (and all of the regional magazines, as well) and are always generous with their time to our editors and photographers.

These men are linked by their passion for Rotary, reaching the top of the Rotary world after many years of service. As presidents, they set direction for the membership, travel around the world, motivate Rotarians, and serve as ambassadors for all of Rotary. Their personal message, which appears on page 1 of each issue, is always one of the most-read pages.

In each July issue, we try to present a more personal side to the Rotary president. Our goal is to let you see and get to know than man behind the title. And in the past five years, we’ve shown you the dignity of Bhichai Rattakul, the humility of Glenn Estess, the strength of Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar, the compassion of Bill Boyd, and the determination of Wilf Wilkinson.

For this month’s story on RI President Dong Kurn Lee, we sent Susie O. Ma and Alyce Henson from The Rotarian and Howard Chang from RI Public Relations to spend a week with D.K. in Korea. Our trio spent time with D.K.’s family and his longtime friends and business associates in Seoul and visited his childhood home in Yangdong. They returned to Evanston with a great appreciation for the president.

Susie’s profile of D.K. Lee reveals a man who has pride in his family, in his country, and in Rotary. He feels blessed with a wonderful wife, Young, and four talented children. He is thankful that the global community reached out to help Korea become the strong and prosperous country it is today. And during his 37 years as a Rotarian, he has watched his country become a vibrant Rotary presence in the world, with more than 1,300 clubs and nearly 55,000 members.

Before the trip, Susie and I spent many hours with D.K., learning more about him and his vision for the upcoming year. He was always the most gracious host. He would personally get us drinks in his office, ask us about our families, and order for us at restaurants. During one visit at his home in Evanston, while D.K. and Young were meticulously preparing a Korean breakfast for us, the conversation turned to the influence of his father. “He taught me to be humble, to work hard, and to never give up,” D.K. said, adding that he also instilled in him this Confucian teaching: Honor guests, and always save the best for others.