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Kwak Seung-Jun
South Korean economist and former policy advisor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Kwak Seung-Jun[1] (Korean: 곽승준; born October 10, 1960) is a South Korean economist, academic, and public policy advisor. He is a professor of economics at Korea University and served as Chairman of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision under President Lee Myung-bak.
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Early life and education
Kwak received a Bachelor of Economics from Korea University in 1984. He completed a Master of Science in Economics at Vanderbilt University in 1986, and earned his Ph.D. in Economics there in 1992.[1]
Academic career
Kwak began his academic career in 1994 as a principal researcher at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements. He joined Korea University’s College of Political Science and Economics as a professor in 1995.[1] From 2002 to 2007, he was a visiting professor at Vanderbilt University.[1]
His research interests include environmental economics, urban policy, and public finance. His notable works include:
- "Contingent Valuation in Korean Environmental Planning: A Pilot Application to the Protection of Drinking Water in Seoul" (1994), with Clifford S. Russell.[2]
- "Measuring the Economic Benefits of Recycling: The Case of the Waste Agricultural Film in Korea" (2004), with Seung-Hoon Yoo and Chan-Jun Kim.[3]
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Government service and political involvement
Kwak played a central role in public policy under President Lee Myung-bak. His government service includes:
- Member of the 17th Presidential Transition Committee (2007–2008).
- Senior Secretary to the President for State Affairs Planning (2008).
- Chairman of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision (2009–2013).[4]
At the Presidential Council for Future and Vision, his policy focus areas included clamping down on education expenditures, growing the semiconductor industry, and strengthening commercial ties with the UAE.[5]
In 2011, Kwak publicly advocated for the National Pension Service to take a more active role in shareholder governance to promote corporate reform, a move that stirred national debate.[6]
In 2017, during the 19th South Korean presidential election, Kwak briefly joined the campaign of former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He withdrew from the campaign before Ban's own departure from the race.[7]
Media and broadcasting
In January 2012, Kwak made a guest appearance on a political satire skit of Saturday Night Live Korea Season one, episode 8. [8]
After returning to his professorship at Korea University, Kwak became a familiar face on television. From November 1, 2012, to December 23, 2020, he hosted the political education variety show Kwak Seung-jun's Cool Kkadang (ko:쿨까당) on tvN, known for discussing social and policy issues with humor and accessibility.[9]
In May 2021, he hosted Kwak's LP Bar (곽씨네 LP바), a late-night talk show styled as a nostalgic LP music lounge. The show ended after a short two-month run.[10]
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Other roles
Kwak has held various institutional and advisory positions:
- Director of Policy Planning, Global Strategies Institute
- Member, City Planning Committee, Seoul Metropolitan Government (2006)
- Member, Management Innovation Committee, Korea Housing Finance Corporation (2005)
- Editor-in-chief, Korea University Newspaper (2002–2007)[4]
Publications
Kwak has written or contributed to several books and reports, including:
- The Emissions Trading System (1998)
- North Korea in Transition: Prospects for Economic and Social Reform (2000)
- Applying Economics to the Environment (2007)[4]
Recognition
He received the Best Paper Award from the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements in 2003.[1]
See also
References
External links
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