Mr. Lee was the Prime Minister of South Korea(1994-1995) under former President Kim Young-Sam. Before that he served twice as the deputy prime minister for unification dealing with the relation between the divided two Korean states. He was also a member of the Korean National Assembly and the chairman of then ruling New Korea Party.

Mr. Lee was educated at Seoul National University, Emory University and Yale University where he received a Ph.D. in political science. He was on the faculty of Seoul National University for twenty years (1968-1988). Professor Lee was the president of the Korean Political Science Association and a member of the executive committee of the International Political Science Association. He spent a year each at Woodrow Wilson International Center and Harvard Law School as a fellow. His publication includes five volume collected works.

Dr. Lee was the Korean ambassador to the United Kingdom (1991-1993) and most recently to the United States (1998-2000). He was a member of the Commission on Global Governance (1991-1994) which proposed restructuring of the United Nations. As the Chairman of the World Cup Bidding Committee,he h has successfully won the right to co-host the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. Mr. Lee is currently Chairman of the Board, The Seoul Forum for International Affairs, the East Asian Institute, and the JoongAng Ilbo, a leading daily newspaper which publishes locally the International Herald Tribune. Dr. Lee sits on the Board of the Asia Foundation and the Salzburg Seminar, and serves as a member of the executive committee of the Club de Madrid.