Kim Choong-soo
Kim Choong-soo | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 6, 1947 South Korea |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, Political figure |
| Years active | 1979–2014 |
| Known for | Governor of the Bank of Korea (2010–2014) |
Kim Choong-soo (; born 6 June 1947) is a distinguished South Korean economist and political figure who held the position of Governor at the Bank of Korea from April 2010 until March 2014.
Education
Kim completed his secondary education at Kyunggi High School in Seoul in 1966. He then obtained a bachelor's degree in economics from Seoul National University in 1973, followed by a doctorate in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1979.
Career
Starting his professional journey in 1979, Kim worked as a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Human Resource Research, Ohio State University. Upon returning to South Korea in 1983, he dedicated ten years as a Senior Economist at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), where his work centered on macroeconomic strategies, labor issues, and social welfare policies. In 1993, he was appointed as Secretary to the President for Economic Affairs. During Korea's accession to the OECD in 1995, Kim served as Minister and Chief of the OECD Office at the Korean Embassy in Paris, overseeing negotiation efforts.
After coming back to Seoul in 1997, he assumed the roles of Assistant Minister and Special Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister within the Ministry of Finance and Economy. That same year, he was elected President of the Korea Institute of Public Finance and subsequently became Dean of Kyung Hee University’s graduate school for international studies in 1998. Between 2002 and 2005, Kim led KDI as its President, and from 2007 to 2008, he served as President of Hallym University.
In early 2008, Kim was appointed Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Affairs. Prior to beginning his tenure as Governor of the Bank of Korea in April 2010, he acted as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the OECD from 2008 to 2010 while also heading KDI. His governorship concluded in March 2014.
Criticism
In March 2010, Dr. Kim Sang-jo, an economist affiliated with Hansung University, expressed strong opposition to Kim Choong-soo’s nomination as Governor of the Bank of Korea. He described him as "the least suitable candidate" due to his close association with President Lee Myung-bak, which was perceived as a potential threat to the institution's independence.
Awards
- Order of Civil Merit, Mogryeon class, awarded on 26 December 1992
- Civil Merit Medal, conferred on 15 December 1987