Jong Soo YOON - Kim & Chang

Bio

Jong Soo Yoon is a senior advisor at Kim & Chang and specializes in environmental issues such as air pollution, climate change, waste management and recycling, water and sanitation, chemicals, soil contamination, and environmental conflict issues.

Mr. Yoon served in the Korean government for three decades, mostly in the Ministry of Environment (MOE), and later spent five years heading the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), which seeks to support developing countries in implementing sustainable development agenda.

He has in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in environmental issues and the sustainable development field by having worked at the MOE in positons such as Vice Minister, Deputy Minister, Director General of Climate Change and Air Quality Bureau, Director General of Resource Circulation Bureau, Director General of Water and Sanitation Bureau, and Legal Affairs Officer. Currently, he is serving as the president of International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Korea.

He received the Order of Service Merit (Red Stripes), Commendation from the President of the Republic of Korea, and Commendation from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea for his outstanding contribution to environmental issues during his tenure at the MOE.

He attended and chaired many international meetings such as climate change conferences, water and sanitation workshops and waste management meetings as the head of delegation of the Korean government as well as the representative of UNOSD over the past 35 years.

Mr. Yoon received a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering.

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Profile

Experience

Chairman, Environmental Scholarship Foundation (2024.1.-Present)

Chairman, Environmental Fellow Association (2024.1.-Present)

Chairman, Board of ESG Committee, KT (2025.4.1.-Present)

Chairman, Board of Directors, KT (2023.6.-2025.3.31.)

Kim & Chang (2019.5.-Present)

Councillor of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Chair of Korean National Committee of IUCN (2021-Present)

Chairman, Korea Hydrogen Environment Association (2025.2.-Present)

Chairman, Korea Institute of Ecological Restoration (2025.2.-Present)

Advisor, The Presidential Commission on Co-Chair, Future Climate and Environment Forum (2022.5.-Present)

Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth (2022.10.-2025.2.)

Chairman, Environmental and Social Advisory Committee for EDCF, Export-Import Bank of Korea (2021.11.-Present)

Senior Advisor, Center for Climate and Sustainable Development Law & Policy (CSDLAP) (2020-Present)

Chairman of Advisory Committee, Korea National Park Service (2024.5.-Present)

Co-Chairman, Korea Council of Board of Directors (2024.8.-Present)

Director, Climate Change Center (2021-Present)

Director, Econow (2020-Present)

Vice Chairperson, Korean Academy of Environmental Science (2022.4.-2024.4.)

Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of International Urban Sciences, University of Seoul (2022.2.-2024.2.)

Outside Director, ILJIN HYSOLUS Co., Ltd. (2021-2022)

Head, United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (2013.9.-2019.5.)

Vice Minister, Ministry of Environment (2011.7.-2013.3.)

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment (2010.4.-2011.7.)

Director General of Climate and Air Quality Bureau, Director General of Water and Sanitation, Director General of Resource Circulation (Waste Management), Ministry of Environment (2004-2010)

Representative Activitiesshow

Awards

Commendation from the President (2006)
Order of Service Merit, Red Stripes (2005)
Commendation from the Prime Minister (1993)

Publications/Activities

Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential and Policy Effects of Energy Conservation from Waste Resources in Korea (Doctoral thesis, 2010)
Improvement of Environmental Impact Assessment Strategy of Korea (Master’s thesis, 1991)

Education

University of Seoul (Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, 2010)

Seoul National University (M.A., Public Administration, 1991)

Seoul National University (B.A., English Literature, 1982)

Qualifications

Authorized Public Attorney, Korea, 2017

Languages

Korean and English

Insights

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Jong Soo YOON Senior Advisor

Bio