Edwin Feulner, founder of the representative think tank of the American conservative movement 'Heritage Foundation', passed away at the age of 84 on the 18th (local time) and had a special connection with Korea.
He was born in 1941 to parents who ran a real estate company in Chicago. After graduating from Regis College, he received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a doctoral degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
He then worked as a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), forging connections with think tanks in Washington, D.C., and after serving as an aide to former Republican Congressman Melvin Laird, he established the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., in 1973 with a seed money of $250,000 from a donation by beer magnate Coors. Starting as a small policy research institute, the Heritage Foundation grew into a key institution shaping conservative policy in the United States under his leadership.
He served as the longest-serving chairman from 1977 for 37 years, working to implement the values of conservatism into policy. The New York Times described Feulner as 'the Parthenon of the great city of conservatism.'
The Heritage Foundation opened a golden age for American conservatism during the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan's administration, emphasizing free market economics, limited government, individual freedom, and strong defense, commonly referred to as 'Reaganomics.' Reagan awarded Feulner the 'Presidential Citizens Medal' in 1989.
In the 2016 presidential election, he served as a policy advisor to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and was also part of the presidential transition team. The foundation announced 'Project 2025,' outlining the policy agenda for the next conservative government in preparation for Trump's potential return to power in 2023.
He was a prominent Asian expert in the United States and well-known as a pro-Korean figure. During his lifetime, Feulner visited Korea over 200 times and maintained close friendships with figures in the Korean political and business sectors.
He was on friendly terms with former President Kim Dae-jung, exchanging views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula through their meetings in both Korea and the U.S. In 2002, he received the Diplomatic Service Medal from the Korean government for his contributions to enhancing Korea-U.S. relations.
He also had deep ties with the Korean business community. He maintained a friendship with Kim Seung-yeon, chairman of Hanwha Group, for 40 years since the early 1980s, and recently participated in Hanwha's board of directors. The Heritage Foundation has also maintained a long-standing relationship with the Samsung Group, conducting the 'Lee Byung-chul Conference' annually since 1985 to honor Lee Byung-chul.
The foundation stated in a press release, 'He was more than a simple leader; he was a visionary, a builder, and a true patriot,' adding, 'His commitment to uphold the principles that made America the most free and prosperous country in human history has formed the foundation of the conservative movement and continues to this day.'