KOREA WHO
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Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance and Economy
Koo Yun-cheol
Budget Expert Targets Growth Rebound Amid Risks
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Last Updated on Mar 17, 2026
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Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance and Economy
Life Summary
Koo Yun-cheol is Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance and Economy in the Lee Jae-myung government.
He is focused on reviving the “3% growth engine,” one of the state goals of the Lee Jae-myung government.
He was born in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1965.
He graduated from Daegu Yeongsin High School and the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. He earned master’s degrees in public administration and public policy from the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University and the University of Wisconsin graduate school, respectively, and received a doctorate in business administration with a major in international commerce from the Graduate School of Chung-Ang University.
After passing the 32nd Higher Civil Service Examination, he worked mainly at the Budget Office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
In the Roh Moo-hyun government, he served as Secretary for the Personnel System at the presidential office and then as Head of the State Affairs Situation Room.
After returning to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, he oversaw the Moon Jae-in government’s budget planning while serving as head of the Budget Office and Second Vice Minister.
After the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol government, he left public office and served as Co-chair of the North Gyeongsang Investment Attraction Special Committee and as a specially appointed professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University.
In July 2025, he was appointed as the first economic chief of the Lee Jae-myung government.
After taking office, he was evaluated as having stably led the management of consumer prices and the drafting of the new government’s first budget.
The original text contains a spacing error in “구윤철Koo Yun-cheol은,” where a space is missing between the Korean name and the English name. Also, “재정경제부 장관” may reduce clarity because the current government ministry name is usually rendered differently in English, so the official title may need to be checked against the intended Korean designation.
#KooYuncheol #LeeJaeMyung #SouthKorea #DeputyPrimeMinister #EconomyMinister #MinistryOfEconomyAndFinance #BudgetPolicy #ConsumerPrices #EconomicGrowth #KoreanPolitics
He is focused on reviving the “3% growth engine,” one of the state goals of the Lee Jae-myung government.
He was born in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1965.
He graduated from Daegu Yeongsin High School and the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. He earned master’s degrees in public administration and public policy from the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University and the University of Wisconsin graduate school, respectively, and received a doctorate in business administration with a major in international commerce from the Graduate School of Chung-Ang University.
After passing the 32nd Higher Civil Service Examination, he worked mainly at the Budget Office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
In the Roh Moo-hyun government, he served as Secretary for the Personnel System at the presidential office and then as Head of the State Affairs Situation Room.
After returning to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, he oversaw the Moon Jae-in government’s budget planning while serving as head of the Budget Office and Second Vice Minister.
After the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol government, he left public office and served as Co-chair of the North Gyeongsang Investment Attraction Special Committee and as a specially appointed professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University.
In July 2025, he was appointed as the first economic chief of the Lee Jae-myung government.
After taking office, he was evaluated as having stably led the management of consumer prices and the drafting of the new government’s first budget.
The original text contains a spacing error in “구윤철Koo Yun-cheol은,” where a space is missing between the Korean name and the English name. Also, “재정경제부 장관” may reduce clarity because the current government ministry name is usually rendered differently in English, so the official title may need to be checked against the intended Korean designation.
#KooYuncheol #LeeJaeMyung #SouthKorea #DeputyPrimeMinister #EconomyMinister #MinistryOfEconomyAndFinance #BudgetPolicy #ConsumerPrices #EconomicGrowth #KoreanPolitics