Kwang-doo Kim, a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumnus, has been appointed vice chair of South Korea’s National Economic Advisory Council by President Jae-in Moon. The council is the country’s presidential panel focused on national policies and strategies relating to the economy and social welfare.
Kim, who earned his doctorate from the economics department in the UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences, is a professor at the Sogang School of Economics in Seoul, South Korea. He served as architect of former President Geun-hye Park’s economic agenda. He also developed President Moon’s signature three-prong economic strategy referred to as “J-nomics,” which centers on public-sector job creation, expansion of South Korea’s social safety net, and chaebol reform.
“Kwang-doo Kim is an outstanding individual, and we are honored to have him as part of the College of Social Sciences alumni. As a professor and dean, it is rewarding to see our graduates effecting change and helping to shape the discourse throughout the world,” said Denise Eby Konan, dean of the College of Social Sciences.
Kim joins the ranks of three other individuals, who have earned doctorates from the College of Social Sciences economics department and who have received minister or minister-level appointments in South Korea over the last decade. These include: Jae-jin Byun, minister of social welfare, 2007–2008; Joong-kyung Choi, minister of knowledge economy, 2011–2012; and Dong-soo Kim, chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, 2011–2013.
—By Lisa Shirota
