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TCN

People

Our People

Experts from diverse regions and disciplines work together to advance transcultural research and international scholarly collaboration.

Board

Directors

The board leads the network’s scholarly direction and connects research, education, and international exchange across regions.

President

Republic of Korea

Dr. Wonjoon Kim

Current role or affiliationSenior Advisor at Kim & Chang

Formerly Acting Secretary General of the Korea Fair Trade Commission and an Attaché at the Korean Delegation to the OECD.

  • Former Administrator at the Office of the President
  • Former Adjunct Professor, Sungkyunkwan University Law School and Sogang University Graduate School of Management of Technology
  • Ph.D in Economics, Paris 10 University
  • MPA, Seoul National University; BA in Economics, Sungkyunkwan University
  • Economic policy
  • Competition policy
  • International cooperation

Senior Vice President

Republic of Korea

Dr. SeongHo Jun

Current role or affiliationProfessor at the Academy of Korean Studies

Researches economic and accounting history, with particular attention to commerce and capital.

  • Visiting Professor at Goethe University Frankfurt
  • Researcher at the International Institute of Social History
  • Postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford
  • BA, MA, and Ph.D in Economics, Sungkyunkwan University
  • Economic history
  • Accounting history
  • Commerce and capital

Director

Laos

Dr. Vilayphone Somsamone

Current role or affiliationDean of the Faculty of Economics and Tourism, Souphanouvong University

Leads the university's Center for Korean Studies and researches sustainable tourism, regional development, and Korean studies.

  • Director of the Center for Korean Studies
  • Ph.D in Economics, Academy of Korean Studies, 2017
  • Sustainable tourism
  • Regional development
  • Korean studies

Director

China

Dr. Zhang Wen

Current role or affiliationCenter for Economic Research, Shandong University

Research interests include East Asian economic history, modern banking history, and traditional accounting in China and Korea.

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at SUSTech, Sep 2019 – Nov 2021
  • Ph.D in Economics, Academy of Korean Studies, 2019
  • East Asian economic history
  • Modern banking history
  • Traditional accounting

Director

Uzbekistan

Dr. Gozal Shamuratova

Current role or affiliationProfessor at Karakalpakstan National University and Senior Advisor to the Chair of the Supreme Council

Researches transculturalism in Central Asia and Korea and advises on trade, investment, and economic relations with the Republic of Korea.

  • Senior Advisor on trade, investment, and economic relations with the Republic of Korea
  • Ph.D in Economics, Academy of Korean Studies, 2024
  • Transculturalism
  • Central Asia
  • Economic cooperation

Audit & Advisory

Audit and Advisory

Academic and private-sector experience supports the network’s governance and external collaboration.

Auditor

Vietnam

Dr. Le Lan Huong

Current role or affiliationLecturer, Faculty of Business Administration, Saigon University

Researches human resource development, workforce planning, business administration, and economic growth in Korea and Vietnam.

  • Comparative research on Korean and Vietnamese human resource development
  • Ph.D in Economics, Academy of Korean Studies, 2020
  • Doctoral thesis: “Human Resource Development in Korea and Vietnam: Focusing on Manpower Planning Reforms”
  • Human resource development
  • Business administration
  • Economic growth

Senior Advisor

United States

John O. Lee

Current role or affiliationCEO of ACE Engineering, Inc.

A civil engineering and construction executive in the United States who founded ACE Engineering in 1987 and has led government and military construction projects.

  • BS in Civil Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, 1980
  • Construction projects for U.S. federal, military, state, and local government clients
  • Civil engineering
  • Construction
  • Government projects