It has been 10 years since harsh financial crisis pushed numerous Korean companies to bankruptcy. Through intense restructuring, companies that survived the crisis have become one of the world’s leading companies of respective industries; in industries such as shipbuilding, steel, semi conductor and mobile phone, Korean firms command strong top position in the world or compete head-to-head with industry leaders.

Defining the past 10 years as ‘restructuring and globalization’ phase, next 10 years to come will be quite a different term. In order to have an outlook how it will be in the future, this year’s Korea panel will first define the issues that will have a critical effect on Korean economy in the future and move on to focused debate on FTA between USD and Korea, one of the most critical issues that will affect Korean economy, as well as economy of other Asian countries, in 10 years to come.

Prof. Hyun-soo Ahn

Assistant Professor of Operations and Management Science

Hyun-soo Ahn is an assistant professor of Operations and Management Science at Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He received a Ph.D. in Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan in 2001. At Ross, he teaches the management science and statistics core class to BBAs and MBAs and advises in student projects. In 2006 he won the BBA teaching excellence award voted by the class of 2006. His research interests include supply chain management, modeling and analysis of production and service systems, workforce agility, and dynamic pricing and revenue management and his research projects are supported by the National Science Foundation.

Mr. Chang, Kook Hyun (Edward)

Deputy Secretary General, Federation of Korean Industries
Executive Director, Federation of Korean Industries Washington DC Office

Topic: “US-Korea FTA and its implication to Asia”

Kook Hyun (Edward) Chang is an expert in international, government relations and global business development. Mr. Chang is currently Deputy Secretary General at the Federation of Korean Industries in Korea and the Executive Director at the FKI Washington DC Office.

Mr. Chang has extensive experience in business development and government relations between Korea and other countries. He joined FKI in 1979 and has since held an array of positions including Chief Advisor to the FKI Chairman, Chief of the FKI's Korea-US Task Force, and Head of the International Affairs Department. He also served as Chief of the Planning Department of the International Management Institute (IMI), the FKI's educational affiliate. In addition he was a Visiting Fellow at the Federation of German Industries in Germany, at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C. and Representative at FKI's U.S. office in New York.

Mr. Chang taught as an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of International Studies of Sookmyung Women's University on international relations and lobbying for five years from 2000 until 2005. He is also known for two books, Protocol and International Conferences and Global Leadership: The Next Generation of Leaders, as well as many articles and reports in the fields of international relations and country reports.

Mr. Chang was awarded in 2006 the Presidential Citation from the President of The Republic of Korea for outstanding contributions to APEC 2005 and the Citation of The Minister of Healthcare & Welfare for initiating community service by starting the 'One Percent Club' in 1992

Mr. Chang received his Bachelor's degree in English Literature from Sogang University and also studied at the graduate school of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in international trade.

Dr. Soojong Kwak

Chief Economist, Samsung Economic Research Institute

Topic: "Threat and Opportunities to Korean Economy
- Defining key factors of influence"

Dr. Soojong Kwak is a Chief Economist at Samsung Economic Research Institute, the most prominent private economic research institute in Seoul, Korea. He specializes in areas of Derivative Markets, International Trade, and Regulatory Economics. He is working on numerous issues such as Korea-US FTA, energy policy and price forecasting and the US macroeconomic analysis. Dr. Kwak also serves as member of advising committee of Ministry of Commerce and the Board of Audit and Inspection of the Republic of Korea.

He received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Yonsei University, Seoul Korea in 1986. Dr. Kwak started  Ph.D study in Economics at University of Kansas in 1991 and graduated with a Doctorate degree in May 1996. Upon receiving the degree, Dr. Kwak was hired by SERI and Sunmoon University respectively. In 1998 he moved to Kansas Corporation Commission in order to serve as a Managing Research Economist. He was recruited by SERI again in June of 2005. He has published over 20 professional journal articles, delivered numerous presentations to diverse parties in and outside Korea.