Lee, Heesoo, the Leading Authority on Middle Eastern and Islamic Culture

Born in 1953, Professor Lee Hee-soo graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and earned his PhD in History from Istanbul University in Turkey as a government-funded scholar. For the following decade, he dedicated himself to researching Islamic culture across Saudi Arabia, Libya, Tunisia, Turkey, and Iran.

His distinguished career includes roles as a researcher at the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) under the OIC—often referred to as the UN of the Islamic world—and the Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (CERES) at the University of Tunis. He has also served as an Assistant Professor at Marmara University in Istanbul and as a visiting professor at the University of Washington (USA) and the University of Vienna (Austria). 

His research focuses on Middle Eastern Islamic culture rooted in history, East-West cultural exchange along the Silk Road, and ethnic minority issues.  Currently, he serves as a Distinguished Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Hanyang University, a Chair Professor at Sungkonghoe University, and a Specially Appointed Professor at Keimyung University. He also holds several advisory roles, including Policy Advisor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Advisor for the National Counter-Terrorism Center under the Prime Minister's Office, and Advisor on Foreign Affairs for the Korean National Police Agency.

He has authored over 80 books, with major titles including Professor Lee Hee-soo’s Islam, Islamic School (Volumes 1 & 2), Islam and Korean Culture, Correctly Understanding Islam for Children, and A Cultural Journey Through the Mediterranean.