On August 9, 2019, President Moon nominated Dr. Sung Wook Joh, Professor of Finance at the Seoul National University (“SNU”) Business School, as the next Chairperson of the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC).  An expert in economic policy, conglomerate policy and corporate governance structure, Dr. Joh is particularly well known for her focus on regulatory reform.  She is expected to “complete the ongoing work to lay down the institutional groundwork for achieving fair economy through a comprehensive overhaul of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Law,” the President’s spokesperson said during the announcement.  If confirmed by the National Assembly, Dr. Joh will be the first woman to lead the KFTC in its 38-year history. 

A graduate of SNU (B.A./M.A., Economics) and Harvard University (Ph.D., Economics), Dr. Joh is a scholar who devoted her career to studying economic policy and corporate governance structure and also served as a civilian member of the Economic Division of the Regulatory Reform Committee.  Her papers and track record clearly show that she believes Korea's economic system needs greater competition.  As Dr. Joh is also known for her expertise in econometric analysis, it is expected that there will be greater emphasis on econometric evidence during the KFTC's investigation and hearing. 

Dr. Joh is also known to be an effective communicator, with extensive experience leading various global academic seminars and discussion panels.