"Thick Black Hair and Straight Posture"... 94-Year-Old Chair Lee Gil-ya's Strikingly Youthful Look

According to Financial News, the remarkably youthful appearance of Lee Gil-ya, Chairman of the Gachon Gil Foundation and President of Gachon University, has once again drawn public attention. At the unveiling ceremony for the honorary road "Gachon Lee Gil-ya-gil," she appeared healthy and upright, in a way that many found hard to believe for someone who is 94 years old.
On March 25, Gachon University Gil Hospital held an unveiling ceremony in Gachon Hall, the hospital’s main auditorium, to commemorate the designation of "Gachon Lee Gil-ya-gil" in celebration of the hospital’s 68th anniversary.
In February, Namdong District designated a 530-meter section from 755 to 792 Namdong-daero and from 1 to 30 Namdong-daero 774beon-gil as the honorary road "Gachon Lee Gil-ya-gil." The section includes the six-lane road stretching from Cancer Center Front Intersection toward Gil Hospital Intersection, as well as the two-lane road in front of the women’s health center.
An honorary road name is not used as an official address, but is designated by the head of a county or district to enhance the city’s profile and confer symbolic meaning. Namdong District granted the honorary road name bearing Chairman Lee Gil-ya’s name in recognition of her contributions to medical development in Incheon and to education, as the first female physician in Korea to establish a medical corporation by founding Incheon Gil Hospital.
At the ceremony, Lee said, "The path that the Gachon Gil Foundation has taken is not one I walked alone. It was made possible because the citizens of Incheon watched over us and helped us grow together." She added, "I hope this road will be recorded in history as a place that embodies both the spirit of the Gachon Gil Foundation and the pride of Incheon."
Appearing at the unveiling, Lee drew attention with her characteristically thick hair and perfectly straight posture. Online users reacted with comments such as, "I can’t believe she is over ninety," "Calling her youthful doesn’t even begin to cover it," and "I’m curious about the secret to her youth," expressing their amazement at how she looks.
Lee has previously explained in several interviews that drinking plenty of water and avoiding spicy and salty foods are key to maintaining her youth. She has also said that she does not easily get stressed, that she does ample stretching every morning, and that she keeps a regular daily routine.
Born in 1932, Lee graduated from the Seoul National University College of Medicine in 1957 and opened the Lee Gil-yeo Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic in Incheon in 1958. In 1978, she went on to establish Incheon Gil Hospital, the first medical corporation founded by a female doctor in Korea. She currently serves as President of Gachon University, Chairman of the Board of Gachon University Gil Medical Center, and Chairman of Gachon Gil Foundation.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter