Born poor in the wake of the Korean war, Lee Myung-Bak was destined for a life of poverty. But through intelligence and self-determination, he excelled in school, putting himself through college, hauling garbage six times a day to pay for tuition. He then took a low-level job at Hyundai, an organization of about 90 people at the time. Through a relentless work ethic and inability to compromise his beliefs, he rose to the role of CEO and found himself on a mission not just to expand the Hyundai corporation, but to grow South Korea from a nation of poverty to a G20 economy.

The Uncharted Path is the story of a man and nation driven to greatness by a conviction to liberty, commerce, and the belief that at the root of every success lies extreme perseverance and uncompromising principles. These principles and lessons would lead not only to success in business, but also developed a refreshing and unique perspective on the state of our globalizing world, and how nations and businesses must operate together to improve the lives of people everywhere.

About the Author

President Lee Myung-Bak

Lee Myung-bak's election as president of the Republic of Korea in 2007 marked the capstone of a remarkable career for this energetic and visionary leader. Born into poverty in 1941, Lee briefly participated in the student activist movement of 1964 before going on to join the fledgling Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company the next year. Little more than a decade later he had risen to become CEO of what was by then a multinational corporation famous for its construction projects in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. After leaving Hyundai in 1992, Lee served two terms in the Korean National Assembly before being elected mayor of Seoul in 2002. As 10th president of the Republic, he has made "Green Growth" and sustainable development keystones of his administration, and hosted the G20 summit in Seoul in December 2010.