YMCAs of Korea Appoints Lee Yun-hee as Next General Secretary

Last Updated (Wednesday, 18 March 2026 13:17)

National Council of YMCAs of Korea Appoints Lee Yun-hee as Next General Secretary

“We begin the steps towards a great transition together with a vision of unity and oneness”

NCY Korea (President: Shin Kwan-woo) held a board meeting on 12 March to appoint the next General Secretary and selected Lee Yun-hee, current General Secretary of Goyang YMCA, for

the position. Lee Yun-hee, the incoming General Secretary, comes from the Student Christian Movement (SCM) background, actively involved in the Korean Student Christian Federation (KSCF). He joined the YMCA movement at the National Council in 1993 and officially began his career in 1994 as a secretary for the Youth and Student YMCA at the Seoul YMCA. Later he also served part-time as Movement Strengthening Coordinator at APAY from 2019 – 2023.

Under the theme “Beginning the steps towards a great transition together with a vision of unity and oneness,” Lee presented five core objectives:

① Clarifying the identity and vision of the YMCA movement as a Christian movement.

② Securing the core of YMCA movement as a youth-centered.

③ Defining social responsibility and contributions as a public institution of civil society.

④ Strengthening cooperation and solidarity with the Asia and World YMCAs as a global civil society peace movement.

⑤ Forming a YMCA movement ecosystem as a National Council through local YMCAs and member small-group movements

To achieve these goals, the following initiatives were proposed:

① Organizational Reform: Transitioning the National Council into a ‘field-centered’ and ‘local-centered’ organization.

② Crisis Management: Developing long-term visions and strategies to address current issues within Korea YMCA such as the recovery of Seoul YMCA, as well as financial and leadership crises.

③ Future Roadmap: Creating ‘YMCA Vision 2030,’ a short- and long-term roadmap for revitalizing the Korean YMCA movement.

④ Governance Reform: Establishing the ‘Korean YMCA Governance Policy Agreement’ to clarify the roles and responsibilities among member groups, regions, districts, and the National Council.

⑤ Financial Transparency: Forming a Finance Committee, Support Group, Advisory Council, and Church Cooperation Committee to improve transparency, objectivity, and efficiency.

⑥ Youth-Centered Structure: Promoting youth-centered initiatives by introducing a ‘University YMCA General Secretary System’ and advancing a regional-based Youth Social Solidarity Economy, Migrant Youth Support Center, Global Youth Peace Platform, and Youth Policy Research Institutes.

⑦ Social Impact: Expanding social responsibility through data-based climate and peace movements, and responding to digital transitions (AI), regional extinction, aging populations, and social inequality.

⑧ Global Expansion: Expanding local YMCAs through global networks.

⑨ Democratic Governance: Restoring trust through transparent governance and establishing a model for democratic operation.

Lee expressed his commitment to dedicating himself to the great transition of the Korean YMCA, drawing a parallel to the biblical figure Bartimaeus, who cast off his cloak to pursue a new path. He also emphasized the responsibility of the Korean YMCA in hosting the APAY (Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs) Secretariat and pledged to ensure its smooth operation.

Congratulations are extended on his appointment and high hopes for the development of the Korean YMCA movement as it fulfills its responsibilities within Korean civil society and the broader Asian community.

By Yura Rhee, Junior Executive Secretary, APAY