Tony Michell
Encyclopedia
Tony Michell is a British businessman, entrepreneur, and pioneer for early Korean development. He has worked with the Korea Development Institute
to create policies for the government since 1978. Dr. Tony Michell is considered a prime reference point on DPRK issues, and has been featured regularly on Korean broadcasting networks and the BBC
.
.
(KDI) on ‘Short and Long term Planning and Policy Analysis’. After a successful conclusion, he went on to draft a policy for the Regional Development Research Institute (RDRI) and Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in 1980.
His contributions to the Korean government soon attracted the attention of the World Bank
. He worked on the following projects throughout 1980-1986:
on the project ‘Economist Operation Research’ which revolved around projects in six countries. He was then employed by Tetra Pak
Korea
as the Director of Promotion and Logistics.
In 1989, Michell established Euro-Asia Business Consultancy (EABC) in England. Branches were set up in Beijing
, Hong Kong
, Seoul
, and Pyongyang
(North Korea). Due to high volume in demand, the South Korean branch became Korea Associates Business Consultancy (KABC), it specifically catered to foreign companies wishing to do mergers/establish base in Korea.
which produces modern medicine in North Korea. Dr. Michell maintained friendly relations with the North, giving unbiased situation reports to the media and investors.
as sponsors to develop the One Million Jobs Project. It was a review of the employment potential of Korea if linked to serious in-depth deregulation.
, Professor of Modern History, the leading economic historian of both the early modern period and in his seminal history of Unilever
, one of the pioneers of modern business history which remained an influence on Michell’s work. Charles Wilson pushed Tony in the direction of regional economic development
. Tony was to follow Charles to the European University Institute
at Florence to assist in the North Seas study group. Tony stepped in to complete the missing chapter of the Cambridge Economic History Vol V in 1974.
His one continuing relationship from his Cambridge days was with Fiona Macdonald, the renowned children’s history author.
. In Flat C lived Philip Larkin
, who was then librarian of Hull University. He recalls that as neighbours they established an acquaintanceship that led to some interesting conversations in the house, at the library and in the faculty bar. Also at Hull at the time was Andrew Motion
although Tony had more to do with Joanna Motion who worked in administration.
The department of Economic History was one of the leading centers of the discipline in the UK under the leadership of John Saville
, then at the height of his prestige. As a liberal
, Michell did not entirely fit in which the socialist image of the department distracted as it was by the division between Tom Kemp
on the Trotskyist left, and Saville’s New Left associates.
In these circumstances Michell found himself hanging out with Anthony Minghella
, already emerging as a leading playwright, but not yet in movies. Antony based the character Neville on Michell in a now forgotten TV series Studio (1983), which also included Michell’s first Korean wife, Pilwha and an explanation of the Korean concept of Han. This was the time when he was writing “A Little Like Drowning
” and “What if it is raining?”
Michell remained a member of the faculty of the University of Hull until the end of 1986, although during that period he had leave of absence on a British Academy fellowship to the University of Leuven (Belgium) 1977 and to Korea 1978-1980, to the World Bank
1981 and University of Washington
Seattle 1983, and 1984-1986.
Cambridge University - Associate Fellow: Faculty of Oriental Studies (2001)
CCIM Korean Chapter
Korea Development Institute
The Korea Development Institute is an autonomous economic policy think tank that was set up by the South Korean government. The Institute was founded in 1971, during a period of fast economic growth, to provide research and analysis of economic policy decisions...
to create policies for the government since 1978. Dr. Tony Michell is considered a prime reference point on DPRK issues, and has been featured regularly on Korean broadcasting networks and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Career
In 1974, Dr. Michell was a parliamentary candidate in the October elections standing for the liberal party in Hull West. He then founded a bookshop company whilst continuing to participate in community politics. Throughout this period, Michell worked as the assistant professor in economic history at the University of HullUniversity of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
.
World Bank & Korea
After Dr. Michell gained his PhD, he relocated to Korea to perform his first government project. His assignment was for the Economic Planning Board (EPB) and Korea Development InstituteKorea Development Institute
The Korea Development Institute is an autonomous economic policy think tank that was set up by the South Korean government. The Institute was founded in 1971, during a period of fast economic growth, to provide research and analysis of economic policy decisions...
(KDI) on ‘Short and Long term Planning and Policy Analysis’. After a successful conclusion, he went on to draft a policy for the Regional Development Research Institute (RDRI) and Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in 1980.
His contributions to the Korean government soon attracted the attention of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. He worked on the following projects throughout 1980-1986:
- ILO - “Employment Creation: employment and industrialization and trade in Korea”
- World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
– “Comprehensive Transport Policy Plan” - World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
– “Urban Transportation Studies” - UNDP – Restructuring Fund: “Truck Regulation Policy”
- UN ESCAP – “Cross Border Joint Venture in Motor Manufacturing in Asia” (2001)
Businesses
From 1985, Dr. Michell worked for The EconomistThe Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
on the project ‘Economist Operation Research’ which revolved around projects in six countries. He was then employed by Tetra Pak
Tetra Pak
Tetra Pak is a multinational food processing and packaging company of Swedish origin. It was founded in 1951 in Lund, Sweden, by Ruben Rausing. It was Erik Wallenberg who invented the tetrahedral package, today known as Tetra Classic...
Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
as the Director of Promotion and Logistics.
In 1989, Michell established Euro-Asia Business Consultancy (EABC) in England. Branches were set up in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, and Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
(North Korea). Due to high volume in demand, the South Korean branch became Korea Associates Business Consultancy (KABC), it specifically catered to foreign companies wishing to do mergers/establish base in Korea.
North Korea
Dr. Michell was responsible for the first wave of foreign investment in the 1990s as the Vice Chairman of Northern Development Consortium. He personally invested in a pharmaceutical project labelled the Pyongsu Joint Venture CompanyPyongsu Joint Venture Company
Pyongsu Joint Venture Company, Ltd is a Pharmaceutical company jointly founded in Pyongyang, DPRK .-Founders & Shareholders:*Pyongyang Pharmaceutical Company*Ministry of Public Health...
which produces modern medicine in North Korea. Dr. Michell maintained friendly relations with the North, giving unbiased situation reports to the media and investors.
Humanitarian Award
Dr. Michell persuaded a large pharmaceutical manufacturer that it could move large quantities of short dated stock from its warehouses across Asia directly to needy recipients without fear of exceeding their shelf life. This donation with a face value of several million pounds was quickly distributed to North Korea where they were instantly consumed by Koreans during the height of the late 1990s period of hardship. In recognition of his humanitarian efforts to help the people of North Korea, Dr. Michell was awarded the Order of Friendship by the DPRK government.Interviews
- Arirang TVArirang TVArirang TV is an international, English-language network based in Seoul, South Korea, operated by The Korea International Broadcasting Foundation...
– Prospects of Economic Rebound, Stock Market Rally & Korean Economy - ABC NewsABC NewsABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
– ‘Beijing may have offered North Korea aid…’ - BBC RadioBBC RadioBBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
– Economic and Social Challenges to a Confucian Society in a Global Economic Crisis - Bloomberg L.P.Bloomberg L.P.Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
– Nuclear Test Strengthening Kim at Home - CNBCCNBCCNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
– South Korean Election - CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
– South Korean Economy at Crossroads
Newspaper & Publications
Dr. Michell has written various articles for the following newspapers, on issues ranging from the economy, elections, social issues to the DPRK.- 'SamsungSamsungThe Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
Electronics: And the Struggle For Leadership of the Electronics Industry' - International Herald Tribune
- New York Times
- The Korea Times
- USA Today
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
Projects
| International Projects | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Project | Location | |
| 1985-6 | Two Bridge Project | Bangladesh | |
| 1986 | Padang By-Pass | Indonesia | |
| 1987 | MRM Feeder Road | Nepal | |
| 1989 | Second Dhaka Bridge | Bangladesh | |
| 1990 | Quattar Tunnel | Pakistan | |
| 1991 | Two Road Project | Papua New Guinea | |
One Million Jobs (OMJ) Report
In 1998 Dr. Michell worked with Templeton and CitibankCitibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...
as sponsors to develop the One Million Jobs Project. It was a review of the employment potential of Korea if linked to serious in-depth deregulation.
Academics
Dr. Michell first entered Corpus Christi, Cambridge University with a scholarship in 1966.- 1969 B.A First Class Honours, College Exhibitioner, History
- 1972 M.A,
- 1978 PhD, Economic History
Cambridge
Michell records that he was disappointed with Cambridge and not until his third year did he get the combination of punting and study right to achieve a first in finals. As an undergraduate he had been impressed with the style of Charles WilsonCharles Wilson
-Government and Politics:* Charles Wilson , U.S. Congressman from Texas, 1973–1997; previously State Representative then State Senator** Charlie Wilson's War, a 2007 book and film about the aforementioned politician's career...
, Professor of Modern History, the leading economic historian of both the early modern period and in his seminal history of Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
, one of the pioneers of modern business history which remained an influence on Michell’s work. Charles Wilson pushed Tony in the direction of regional economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
. Tony was to follow Charles to the European University Institute
European University Institute
The European University Institute ' in Florence is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral teaching and research institute established by European Union member states to contribute to cultural and scientific development in the social sciences, in a European perspective...
at Florence to assist in the North Seas study group. Tony stepped in to complete the missing chapter of the Cambridge Economic History Vol V in 1974.
His one continuing relationship from his Cambridge days was with Fiona Macdonald, the renowned children’s history author.
Hull
In autumn 1972 Michell was appointed as an assistant lecturer in the department of economic and social history at Hull University (at that time part of the Economics Department). He was provided with accommodation on the ground floor of 32 Pearson ParkPearson Park
Pearson Park was the first public park to be opened in Kingston upon Hull, England. It is situated about northwest of the city centre of Hull with its main entrance on Beverley Road and its western boundary adjoining Princes Avenue. It provides a range of popular leisure facilities for local...
. In Flat C lived Philip Larkin
Philip Larkin
Philip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL is widely regarded as one of the great English poets of the latter half of the twentieth century...
, who was then librarian of Hull University. He recalls that as neighbours they established an acquaintanceship that led to some interesting conversations in the house, at the library and in the faculty bar. Also at Hull at the time was Andrew Motion
Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...
although Tony had more to do with Joanna Motion who worked in administration.
The department of Economic History was one of the leading centers of the discipline in the UK under the leadership of John Saville
John Saville
John Saville was a Greek-British Marxist historian, long associated with Hull University. He was one of the most influential writers on British Labour History in the second half of the twentieth century.- Life and career :...
, then at the height of his prestige. As a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, Michell did not entirely fit in which the socialist image of the department distracted as it was by the division between Tom Kemp
Tom Kemp
Tom Kemp was a prominent Marxist economic historian and political theorist. He was influential in socialist and Trotskyist parties in the UK, and published several influential books on Marxist theory and economic development, in particular Theories of Imperialism which made an important...
on the Trotskyist left, and Saville’s New Left associates.
In these circumstances Michell found himself hanging out with Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella, CBE was an English film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was Chairman of the Board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007....
, already emerging as a leading playwright, but not yet in movies. Antony based the character Neville on Michell in a now forgotten TV series Studio (1983), which also included Michell’s first Korean wife, Pilwha and an explanation of the Korean concept of Han. This was the time when he was writing “A Little Like Drowning
A Little Like Drowning
A Little Like Drowning is the first film Anthony Minghella directed. This 55 minute feature film was shot on the Isle of Wight in 1977 and completed in 15 days.-Credits:* Director: Anthony Minghella* Production Company: The Silver Screen Film Company...
” and “What if it is raining?”
Michell remained a member of the faculty of the University of Hull until the end of 1986, although during that period he had leave of absence on a British Academy fellowship to the University of Leuven (Belgium) 1977 and to Korea 1978-1980, to the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
1981 and University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
Seattle 1983, and 1984-1986.
Awards and recognition
Order of Friendship recipient.Cambridge University - Associate Fellow: Faculty of Oriental Studies (2001)
CCIM Korean Chapter