Hyun-Chong Kim

Since July 2004, Mr. Hyun-chong Kim has served as the Minister for Trade of the Republic of Korea.

Minister Kim first joined Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1995 as a legal advisor for the Ministry, and then made a shift in his career to work as Senior Legal Advisor for the World Trade Organization in Geneva. When he returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade four years later, he was appointed the Deputy Minister for Trade. After serving at that post a little more than one year, he took up the position of Minister for Trade in July 2004, to gear up and lead the country’s trade policy into a new frontier of the 21st century.

Prior to joining the public service of the Republic of Korea, he practiced in law firms in New York and Seoul, and taught International Trade at Hong-ik University in Korea. Mr. Kim developed a deep interest in international politics which he studied at Columbia University for B.A. and M.A. He also earned a J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree from the same university in 1985.

He is married with two sons.