On the 13th, President Lee Jae-myung nominated Professor Joo Byeong-ki of Seoul National University as the candidate for chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission.
Professor Joo is considered to be the 'economic mentor' of President Lee, and their connection dates back to the last presidential election. It is known that Lee Han-joo, then head of the Gyeonggi Research Institute and a long-time policy advisor to President Lee, suggested to Professor Joo that he join President Lee's policy think tank.
In the 20th presidential election, Professor Joo served as the chairperson of the economic subcommittee of President Lee's policy advisory group 'Politics that Changes the World.' In this presidential election, he also took on the role of chairperson of the economic division of the Democratic Party of Korea's think tank 'Growth and Integration.'
Classified as a progressive economist, Professor Joo has researched microeconomics, public finance, and political economy. In 2018, he published the 'Gaechun Young Index,' which measures parental education and income levels against children's success.
Professor Joo has conducted research and educational activities on topics such as distributive justice, inequality and income distribution, and fair economic mechanisms. He has written works including 'Distributive Justice and the Integration of Korean Society,' which addresses inequalities in education and income opportunities, and 'Sustainable Fair Economy,' which diagnoses Korea's structural issues and proposes an economic order to overcome them.
On that day, Kang Hoon, the President's chief secretary, explained during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office that 'Candidate Joo is a scholar who has served as the director of the Seoul National University Research Center for Distributive Justice, researching solutions to income inequality and fair economic systems.'
He also added, 'A new leader of the economic prosecution who will meticulously implement the government's philosophy of establishing a fair market order by breaking chronic unfair practices such as subcontracting, collusion, and internal transactions.'
▲Born in 1969 ▲Jeonbuk Jeongeup ▲Seoul Munil High School ▲Seoul National University Department of Economics ▲Master's degree in Economics from Seoul National University ▲Doctorate from the University of Rochester ▲Assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Kansas ▲President of the Korean Association of Applied Economics ▲Commissioner of the National Economic Advisory Council under the President ▲Professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University