Lee Okwon, 1st Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance, a Macroeconomic Expert with Strong Drive

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Lee Okwon, appointed as the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, is regarded as a leading macroeconomic expert within the ministry.

Born in Seoul, he graduated from Kyungshin High School in Seoul and the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. He passed the 35th Administrative Examination and has held key positions such as Director of the Future Strategy Division, Director of the Comprehensive Policy Division, Director of the Economic Structural Reform Bureau, and Director of the Economic Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

After working at the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) of the Inter-American Development Bank, he served as Minister-Counselor at the Permanent Mission to Geneva. In 2015, he became the first Korean to chair the WTO Domestic Regulation Working Party, earning a reputation for his expertise in multilateral trade.

In 2019, while serving as Director of the Economic Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, he promoted strengthening the materials, parts, and equipment industry in response to Japan's export restrictions. In May of last year, he joined the Blue House as the Secretary for Economic Policy, coordinating overall domestic economic policies. He is evaluated to have demonstrated strong work execution skills based on a high understanding of the current administration's policies.

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