Dr. Jung-Ok Lee, a 51-year-old professor of Sociology at the Catholic University at Daegu, met Dr. Kalam and proposed to translate the book, ‘Guiding Souls’, barely a year after she had translated ‘Wings of Fire’. When Dr. Kalam asked Lee the possible reason for the popularity of ‘Wings of Fire’ in Korea, she replied, “Your book has provided a new perspective of patience and generosity to Korean youth growing in a highly competitive society. Your love for your parents and teachers, particularly to your mother, has welled many Korean eyes.”

“I see in Kalam the image of our King Sejong who energetically promoted learning throughout his 32-year reign in the 15th century,” Lee said. “Kalam’s celebration of his family, teachers and hard work in ‘Wings of Fire’ is identical to King Sejong’s statement: “All that I am, or will be, I have learned from my family, my friends, my teachers, and training with my sword.”

“Koreans have historically derived inspiration from Western Pure Land as India is known here. Right from Gautam Buddha and Princess of Ayodhya, who married Korean King Suro in the first century, to Rabindranath Tagore and now Dr. Kalam, India is seen as a beacon of light. Dr. Kalam’s impressive scientific achievements remained rooted in his righteous simplicity and that is what made him a role model over so many other successful heroes of contemporary history,” Lee said.