Rhee Chang-yong
Rhee Chang-yong | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1960 Nonsan, South Korea |
| Occupation | Economist |
| Known for | 26th governor of the Bank of Korea since April 2022 |
Rhee Chang-yong (; born 16 May 1960) is a distinguished South Korean economist who has held the position of the 26th governor of the Bank of Korea since April 2022.
In March 2022, following recommendations from president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, President Moon Jae-in appointed Rhee as the nation's chief monetary authority. Prior to this role, he spent more than eight years leading the Asia and Pacific Department at the International Monetary Fund.<ref> His appointment was ratified by the National Assembly on 19 April and subsequently endorsed by President Moon, enabling him to begin a four-year term immediately to prevent any leadership gap at the Bank.<ref> During his confirmation proceedings, Rhee committed to employing the central bank’s key interest rate to address inflation in the post-pandemic context and underscored price stability as a fundamental objective.
Before his tenure at the IMF, where he was the first South Korean to serve as a senior official, Rhee held the role of chief economist at the Asian Development Bank, managing its Economic and Research Department. His earlier career included advising various South Korean governmental bodies on economic strategies, acting as Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission between 2008 and 2009, and serving as Secretary-General and Sherpa for the Presidential Committee responsible for the 2010 G-20 Seoul Summit.
Rhee earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Seoul National University and completed his doctorate at Harvard University, where he studied under Lawrence Summers. After obtaining his PhD in 1989, he taught economics at both University of Rochester and Seoul National University.
On April 18, 2024, Governor Rhee is scheduled to participate in the G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington, D.C., followed by attendance at the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group Spring Conference. During this timeframe, he will be honored with a medal from the American Foreign Policy Association recognizing his significant contributions.
Honours
- Awarded the Order of Civil Merit by the South Korean government in 2011