Famous People

Chung Ju-Yung

Chung Ju-Yung
Pre-Reading Warm Up Questions ☀
Chung Ju-Yung was the founder and head of the Hyundai
1. Do you own a car? If so, what kind of car is it? Where is it
corporation of South Korea. manufactured?

Chung was born on November 25, 1915, in what is now North 2. Have you ever owned a Hyundai or driven in one?
Korea. His parents were poor farmers, and he was the oldest of eight
3. Do you know where the Hyundai Corporation is located?
children. His father took him out of school at a young age to work to
support the family. But at 16, he sold one of his father’s cows and 4. Do you know what the Hyundai Corporation does besides
manufacturing cars?
used the money to run away to Seoul.
5. What kind of education do you think Chung Ju-Yung, the
There, he sold rice and then became a truck driver. Through hard founder of Hyundai, had?
work, he soon owned an auto repair shop. This shop was the
6. What do you think the word “Hyundai” means?
beginning of his corporate empire, which he named Hyundai,
Korean for “modern.”

The South Korean president was impressed with Chung’s hard work
and ambition and asked him to do a lot of government work. Chung
used the money he made doing this to start new businesses. By the
1990s, Hyundai was South Korea’s largest family-owned business
empire, or “chaebol.” It built cars and ships, constructed buildings,
manufactured electronic equipment and computer chips, and shipped
oil around the world.

Chung’s business successes helped to rebuild the South Korean

economy after the Korean War. This improved the lives of ordinary
people. Chung became very rich and used his own money to build
hospitals, schools, and apartments for his 170,000 employees.

In 1992, Chung was defeated when he tried to be elected president COMPREHENSION ✍

of South Korea. He was later convicted of election fraud, but did not
go to jail because of his age. Later, Chung worked to unify the two
Koreas. He developed business and tourism projects that benefited
both countries.
Chung and his wife had eight sons and one daughter. When his
eldest son and heir died in 1982, his other sons began to fight about
who would take his place. Another son died in 1990. When Chung
retired in May 2000, Hyundai was split into separate companies,
each run by a family member.
A. True or False. Read the statements below. If the
statement is true, write T beside the sentence. If it is
false, write F. If it is false, correct the information.
1. Chung Ju-Yung’s father encouraged him to continue his
education.
2. The Hyundai Corporation contains many different kinds
of businesses.
3. Chung Ju-Yung was a successful politician.
4. Chung Ju-Yung was a generous man.

Chung died of pneumonia on March 21, 2001, at age 85. 5. Chung Ju-Yung’s eldest son inherited the Hyundai
Corporation.

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 Famous People
Chung Ju-Yung

VOCABULARY REVIEW ✍
A. Choose the word(s) with the closest meaning to the underlined words in the following sentences.

1. His auto shop was the beginning of his corporate empire.

a) leader b) education c) a large group of companies under the same ownership
COMPREHENSION ✍
2. Chung Ju-Yung was the founder and head of the Hyundai Corporation. 1. Why was Chung Ju-Yung not able to
a) department b) company c) co-operation continue his education?
2. How was Chung Ju-Yung able to
3. The president was impressed with Chung’s hard work and ambition. move to Seoul?
a) education b) strong desire to succeed c) large company 3. What was the first business Chung Ju-
Yung owned?
4. The company shipped oil around the world.
4. What qualities did he have that helped
a) transported b) a large boat c) sold him get a lot of government work?

5. In 1992, Chung was defeated when he tried to be elected president of South Korea. 5. What is the meaning of “chaebol”?
a) lost b) won c) got very angry 6. In what ways did Chung Ju-Yung help
the people of Korea?
6. He was later convicted of election fraud, but did not go to jail because of his age. 7. How did Chung Ju-Yung try to bring
a) being dishonest b) voting c) making speeches North and South Korea closer to-
gether?
7. Chung worked to unify the two Koreas. 8. Why was Hyundai split into separate
a) trade with b) visit c) bring together companies?

8. When his eldest son and heir died, his other sons fought about who would take over.
a) partner b) person who receives money, property, etc. when someone dies c) relative
DISCUSS
9. When Chung retired in May 2000, Hyundai was split into separate companies.
a) died b) moved away c) stopped working 1. Many successful business people,
like Chung Ju-Yung, have had very
10. Hyundai was split into separate companies, each run by a family member. little formal education. What do you
a) sold b) broken or divided into parts c) managed think is more important in becoming
successful in business, a formal
university training program in business
B. Match the words on the left with the correct meaning on the right. or certain personal characteristics?
Explain your answer.
_____ 1. founder a) help
_____ 2. impress b) build 2. Would you like to start your own
_____ 3. construct c) person who starts a business or organization business or would you rather work for
someone else? Give your reasons.
_____ 4. improve d) manage, operate
_____ 5. elect e) make a mark on one’s memory; influence 3. What other countries around the
_____ 6. convict f) choose by voting world have been divided for long
periods of time? How were they
_____ 7. benefit g) make or get better
unified? Do you think North and South
_____ 8. run h) say in a law court that someone is guilty of doing wrong
Korea will eventually be united?

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 Famous People
Chung Ju-Yung

ANSWER KEY

Please note:
The reading for this topic is also available in full-page format at the end of the lesson (page 4).

PRE-READING QUESTIONS

1-6. Individual answer

READING COMPREHENSION
A. True or False
1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F

B. Written Answers
1. Chung Ju-Yung was unable to continue his education because the family needed him to work and help support them.
2. Chung Ju-Yung was able to move to Seoul with money he had earned selling one of his father’s cows.
3. The first business Chung Ju-Yung owned was an auto-repair shop.
4. Chung Ju-Yung was hardworking and had lots of ambition.
5. “Chaebol” means business empire in Korean.
6. Chung’s business successes helped to rebuild the South Korean economy after the Korean War. This improved the
lives of ordinary people. Chung became very rich and used his own money to build hospitals, schools and apartments
for his 170,000 employees.
7. Chung Ju-Yung developed business and tourism projects that benefited both countries.
8. Fighting amongst his sons as to who would take his place when he retired led Chung Ju-Yung to split his empire into
separate companies, each run by a family member.

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

A. Choose the words

1. c 2. b 3. b 4. a 5. a 6. a 7. c 8. b
9. c 10. b

B. Match the words

1. c 2. e 3. b 4. g 5. f 6. h 7. a 8. d

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 Famous People
Chung Ju-Yung

Chung Ju-Yung

Chung Ju-Yung was the founder and head of the Hyundai corporation of South Korea.

Chung was born on November 25, 1915, in what is now North Korea. His parents were poor farmers, and he was the
oldest of eight children. His father took him out of school at a young age to work to support the family. But at 16, he
sold one of his father’s cows and used the money to run away to Seoul.

There, he sold rice and then became a truck driver. Through hard work, he soon owned an auto repair shop. This
shop was the beginning of his corporate empire, which he named Hyundai, Korean for “modern.”

The South Korean president was impressed with Chung’s hard work and ambition and asked him to do a lot of
government work. Chung used the money he made doing this to start new businesses. By the 1990s, Hyundai was
South Korea’s largest family-owned business empire, or “chaebol.” It built cars and ships, constructed buildings,
manufactured electronic equipment and computer chips, and shipped oil around the world.

Chung’s business successes helped to rebuild the South Korean economy after the Korean War. This improved the
lives of ordinary people. Chung became very rich and used his own money to build hospitals, schools, and
apartments for his 170,000 employees.

In 1992, Chung was defeated when he tried to be elected president of South Korea. He was later convicted of
election fraud, but did not go to jail because of his age. Later, Chung worked to unify the two Koreas. He developed
business and tourism projects that benefited both countries.

Chung and his wife had eight sons and one daughter. When his eldest son and heir died in 1982, his other sons began
to fight about who would take his place. Another son died in 1990. When Chung retired in May 2000, Hyundai was
split into separate companies, each run by a family member.

Chung died of pneumonia on March 21, 2001, at age 85.

Copyright 2012, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms. 4