President Lee Jae-myung appointed Yeo Han-goo, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, as the head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 10th. Yeo, an expert in trade, previously served as the head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters during the Moon Jae-in administration from 2021 to 2022.
Born in Seoul in 1969, Yeo graduated from Kyungdong High School and majored in business administration at Seoul National University, completing a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at Harvard University’s Kennedy School and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Harvard Business School. He is known as an 'American expert' with 10 years of experience studying or working in the United States.
He entered public service through the 36th National Examination for Public Servants and held key positions, including senior investment policy advisor at the World Bank (International Finance Corporation), minister-counselor at the Embassy of the United States, and director of the Trade Negotiation Office in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. During the first Trump administration, he served as a commercial officer at the U.S. Embassy and played a role in negotiations with the United States. During the Moon Jae-in administration, he was a secretary at the Blue House for the New Southern Policy and the New Northern Policy and served as the last head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters.
Yeo is a veteran trade expert who participated in numerous bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations as the chief negotiator for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Korea-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He has been recognized for his outstanding ability to formulate and coordinate policies related to international trade and economic cooperation.
After leaving public office, he joined the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a major think tank in the United States. He has been regarded as a suitable candidate to lead tariff negotiations with the United States due to his familiarity with the political and economic situation of the Trump administration's second term.
A presidential office official noted, 'Amid intensifying global trade conflicts such as U.S.-China tensions and tariff negotiations, he is a key talent to stabilize the core of economic diplomacy.'
▲Born in 1969 (56 years old) ▲Kyungdong High School in Seoul ▲Bachelor's degree in business administration from Seoul National University ▲Master's degree in public administration from Seoul National University ▲MPA and MBA from Harvard University ▲36th National Examination for Public Servants ▲Senior investment policy advisor at the World Bank (International Finance Corporation) ▲Director of trade policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and head of FTA policy ▲Minister-counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States ▲Director of the Trade Negotiation Office at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy ▲Secretary for the New Southern Policy and the New Northern Policy at the Blue House ▲Head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy ▲Senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics