Seoul: Kim Jung-kwan, a former high-ranking bureaucrat, has been nominated as the first minister of trade, industry, and energy under President Lee Jae Myung. The 53-year-old is currently serving as the president of Doosan Enerbility, a power equipment builder, and brings extensive experience in economic policy to his new role.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim spent a significant portion of his public career at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, where he held key positions in the International Finance Bureau and Economic Policy Bureau. He also served as a dispatched official to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Washington.
In 2015, Kim became the first director-level official selected for an unprecedented personnel exchange between the finance ministry and the Bank of Korea. He was dispatched to the central bank as the deputy director general of the international department. Transitioning to the private sector in 2018, Kim joined Doosan Enerbility as executive vice president, later becoming the executive vice president in charge of marketing in 2022, and was promoted to president earlier this year.
Under Kim's leadership, Doosan Enerbility has expanded its presence in the global nuclear energy market, notably contributing to the successful bid for the Dukovany nuclear power project in the Czech Republic. This marked South Korea's first overseas nuclear power plant contract since the 2009 Barakah project in the UAE.
Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik highlighted Kim's unique combination of economic bureaucratic experience and hands-on expertise in the real-sector economy, stating that he is expected to embody President Lee Jae Myung's growth-focused philosophy. Kim holds a degree in economics from Seoul National University and a doctorate in economics from the University of Missouri.