Ban Ki-moon, Kim Yu-na -- favorite role models for S. Korean college students

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and figure skater Kim Yu-na are the top Korean role models for local college students, a survey showed Wednesday.

The survey by Kim Jae-won, an economics professor at Seoul's Hanyang University, found 14.1 percent of male students and 25.3 percent of female students at the university voiced support for the two people.

The survey asked 267 students -- 138 male and 129 female -- to write down the living figures at home and abroad whom they want to follow the most.

Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee came in second on the list with 11.8 percent, followed by football star Park Ji-sung (11.2 percent), independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo (9.2 percent) and TV personality Yoo Jae-seok (8 percent).

Among female figures, President Park Geun-hye came next to Kim Yu-na with 14.9 percent, followed by Han Bi-ya, a celebrated Korean travel writer and relief worker (6.2 percent), gymnast Son Yeon-jae (4 percent), former MBC TV anchor Kim Ju-ha (2.6 percent) and Kim Eun-hye, a former MBC TV anchor, who is now the chief communications officer of local telecoms giant KT, with 2.6 percent.

"Samsung Chairman Lee, who had been at No. 1 for males over the last decade, slipped a notch to second apparently due to the recent emergence of issues such as 'economic democratization' and the conglomerate's no-trade union policy," the professor said. "It is also interesting that the young figure skater Kim Yu-na was chosen to be the No. 1 woman, a post that has been dominated by female TV anchors."

Among global male figures, Bill Gates, chairman and founder of Microsoft Corp. (19.9 percent), took first place over U.S. President Barak Obama (18.7 percent).

Next came the legendary U.S. investor Warren Buffet (7.4 percent), Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (7.2 percent), and Nick Vujicic (3.6 percent), an Australian evangelist and motivational speaker.

U.S. TV personality Oprah Winfrey (18.7 percent) edged out former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (17.7 percent) to be chosen as the most respected female foreign figure by Korean female college students. German Chancellor Angela Merkel ranked third with

5.6 percent while Hollywood star Angelina Jolie finished fourth with 3.6 percent. (Yonhap News)