South Korean Minister for Trade, Bark Taeho

In this special episode, Korean Kontext had the opportunity to speak to South Korean Minister for Trade, Bark Taeho, during his latest visit to Washington DC. KEI’s Vice President, Dr. Abraham Kim led the conversation with Minister Bark, talking with him about Korea’s recovery from the global economic crisis, Korean investment in emerging economies, progress in implementing the KORUS FTA, and Asian regional integration. Prior to his role with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister Bark was the Dean of the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University. Holding a PhD in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Minister Bark has ample practical experience in the field, having been Chairman of Korea Trade Commission, President at the Korean Association of Trade and Industry Studies, and Chair of the Investment Expert Group of APEC.  In addition to his impressive professional experience, Minister Bark was a former visiting scholar at both the World Bank and IMF, and also taught at the Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University.