Join us for the “Local Leadership in a Global Context” series with Governor of Gyeonggi Province Dong Yeon Kim, moderated by Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Korea Society Board Chair.

Governor Kim and Ambassador Stephens discuss the transformation of Gyeonggi Province into a "center of opportunity," highlighting its growing global reach through international cooperation, including with U.S. businesses and institutions. Governor Kim also shares lessons from his inspiring life and career.

Gyeonggi Province is the Republic of Korea's most populous province with 14 million residents, and home to key Korean industries, research and educational institutions, and much more. Governor Dong Yeon Kim was elected Governor of Gyeonggi Province in June 2022. Previously, Governor Kim served as ROK Minister of Economy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from 2017 to 2018. He was President of Ajou University from 2015 to 2017.

This program was recorded in Suwon in November 2023.

Interview with Governor of Gyeonggi Province Dong Yeon Kim

Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 6:00 PM (EST)

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Dong Yeon Kim was inaugurated as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, the largest province in the Republic of Korea, on July 1, 2022. With experience and insights accrued through a public service career spanning more than 3 decades, Governor Kim has undertaken the mission of making Gyeonggi Province a “center of opportunity” with “more, fairer and better opportunities” as well as a global leader in peace, future industries and quality of life.

As a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Governor Kim oversaw national economic policies. He formulated and coordinated macro/micro-economic and fiscal policies, as well as taxation, the national treasury, and international finance while supervising state-owned enterprises. He also served a pivotal role in implementing an economic paradigm shift that focused on people-centric investment and innovation growth. Furthermore, he actively initiated international cooperation with finance ministers from other countries and international organizations including the IMF, World Bank, EBRD, and OECD.

Governor Kim previously served as President of Ajou University, a leading university in Korea, bringing about innovative changes in Korea’s higher education. His initiatives – benchmarked by other universities – include the “Pa-ran (Blue) Semester” that inspires students to design their own curricula so as to pursue their visions and goals, and the “After You Program” that seeks to enhance social mobility by providing underprivileged students with opportunities to study abroad.

Other notable works from Governor Kim’s 34 years of public service include successful initiatives aimed at countering the 2008-2009 global financial crisis as the Senior Secretary to the President for Finance and Economy. From 2005 to 2006, he also developed “Vision 2030,” a national long-term strategy with a 25-year horizon and supporting fiscal plan.

Governor Kim’s work experience extends internationally as well. He was a project manager and public sector specialist at the World Bank and also served as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, in Washington D.C. Additionally, he has authored numerous publications including the best-selling book “Pleasant Uprising” and several professional articles. For his many contributions to the nation, he was awarded Korea’s Medal of Excellent Public Service in 2011.

Governor Kim has earned Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under a Fulbright Scholarship.