President Park Geun-hye is among the 100 most influential people in the world, according to Time magazine on Thursday.
The annual list also includes North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi and Pope Francis.
Time introduced Park through a contributed profile written by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
“As the first female President of the Republic of Korea, Madame Park Geun-hye is an inspiration for all women trying to break through the glass ceiling and for all individuals committed to serving the people,” Yingluck wrote.
“I first met President Park at her inauguration and was privileged to be the first foreign leader to be received by her. Her peerless parentage, being the daughter of a former President, is reflected in the vast experience she brings to politics and international affairs and in her vision to create a ‘second miracle on the Han River’ to improve the well-being of her people.”
“Female leaders are often tested in ways that men are not. President Park has what it takes to usher in an era of hope and happiness for the Korean Peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region, benefiting her country as well as East Asia and the ASEAN community.”
Kwon Oh-hyun, chief executive of Samsung Electronics, also made the list in the category of 20 Titans.
John Sculley, former CEO of Apple, lauded Kwon for achieving a rare feat with the Samsung Galaxy and compared him to such business giants as Akio Morita, former chairman of Sony, and Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple.
By Chun Sung-woo (
swchun@heraldcorp.com)