Board Members
Mr. Dong-Bin Shin, Chairman
Dong-Bin Shin is the Chairman of LOTTE Group. Prior to Joining Lotte Group in 1988, Mr. Shin spent six years as Executive Director at Nomura International LTD in London where he served in the institutional Research and Sales department. With his insight and interest in the Asian economy, he serves as Vice-Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, Vice-Chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Association, Board Member of the Asia Business Council, and Co-Chairman of the Korea-Indonesia Partnership Council.
He also participates as a Global Trustee of Asia Society, and a member of the Board of Overseas Columbia University Business School.
Mr. Shin has also co-authored a Korean-language volume "Learning Retail Leads You to be CEO" introducing the innovation strategy of convenience stores.
His expertise and contribution to society were well recognized; he has been honored with the Order of Civil Merit of Moran Medal by the President of the Republic of Korea in 2005, Knight First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland in 2006, Officier de la Légion d’Honneur by the President of France in 2007, the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the Queen of the United Kingdom in 2014, the Order of Friendship by the President of Russia in 2015, and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Isabel La Catolica in 2016.
He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1981 after graduating from Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan with a B.A. in economics.
Read more about Chairman Shin and LOTTE Corporation here.
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Dr. Hong-Koo Lee, Honorary Chairman
Dr. Hong-Koo Lee, former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, has a distinguished career in academia, government, and politics. From 1994 to 1995, he served as Prime Minister of Korea under President Kim Young Sam’s government. Until his posting in Washington in 1998, he served as Chairman of the then-ruling New Korea Party and a member of the Korean National Assembly. Prior to 1994, his government service included appointments as Minister of National Unification in 1988 and Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1911 to 1993.
Dr. Lee is a graduate of Emory University and received his Doctorate in Political Science from Yale University. He also studied at Seoul National University’s College of Law.
Before entering government service, Dr. Lee had a distinguished career in academia, as Professor of Political Science at Emory University in 1963, Case Western Reserve University from 1964 to 1967, Seoul National University from 1968 to 1988. He also served as President of the Korean Political Science Association from 1986 to 1988.
Dr. Lee was a member of the Commission on Global Governance which proposed a reform of the United Nations system in 1995. He was also Chairman of the World Cup Bidding Committee which successfully won the right to host the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea.
Dr. Lee is the Honorary Chairman of the Asia Society Korea in Seoul and Chairman of the Seoul Forum for International Affairs.
Read more about Chairman Lee and the Seoul Forum here.
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Mr. Young Joon Kim, Board Member
Mr. Young Joon (Y.J.) Kim retired as a partner of the international law firm of Milbank LLP, where he spent his entire professional career, having served in the firm's offices in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul, with a particular focus on the energy, infrastructure, semiconductor, telecom and aviation sectors. A graduate of Yale College, B.A. (political science & economics), and
Harvard Law School, J.D., Mr. Kim is a member of the New York State Bar, and was a
2019 Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellow.
He is currently serving as: President, Harvard Club of Korea; President, Harvard Law School Association of Korea; Member, Board of Governors of Yale Alumni Association (YAA); Board Member, Human Rights Foundation of the Korean Bar Association; Board Member, GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation; and Board Member, Onyul Public Interest Law Foundation.
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Ambassador Joon Oh, Board Member
Ambassador Oh Joon is a professor of United Nations studies at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea. He is also the chair of Save the Children Korea and President of the Korea Council of Children's Organizations. Previously he was Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York from 2013 to 2016. During that time, he also served as the 71st president of the Economic and Social Council and as president of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2015 and 2016.
Before that, he was the Korean ambassador to Singapore (2010–13) and deputy minister for multilateral and global affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul (2008–10). The Korean government twice awarded him the Order of Service Merit, in 1996 and 2006. In 2018, Oh received a Global Korea Award from Michigan State University. Rehabilitation International gave him a Global Presidential Award in 2016 in acknowledgment of his achievements as president of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He also received the 2014 Youngsan Diplomat of the Year award for his work on North Korean human rights issues.
He published his first book in Korean, For Mica, Who Contemplates Life, in 2015. He received a master’s degree in international policy studies from Stanford University in 1991.
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Mr. Mark Tetto, Board Member
Mr. Mark Tetto is Co-CEO of TCK, in charge of investor relations and investment strategies review. Mark brings 14 years of finance experience spanning investment banking, corporate M&A, private equity, and venture capital investing. Prior to TCK, Mark was at Samsung Electronics’ corporate M&A team, where he spent four years successfully acquiring companies and building the firm’s M&A practice. Previously, Mark was with Morgan Stanley, working in New York and London on M&A and corporate finance, raising funding for clients in excess of $1Bn.
Mark holds a BA in Chemistry from Princeton University, and an MBA from The Wharton School, with a concentration in Finance.
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Officers and Staff Members
Ms. Yvonne Yoon-Hee Kim, Executive Director
Yvonne Kim is currently the Executive Director of Asia Society Korea Center, having been with the inaugural Seoul-based branch of the Global Asia Society since its startup stages in 2008. A member of the
Asian Women Empowered (AWE) Global Advisory Council, Ms. Kim has brought Asia Society and the presence of international businesses and embassies to the forefront of the Korean media through her extensive public relations network.
By increasing overseas and local branding of Asia Society, she developed programming and financial planning for the prestigious and selective Asia 21 Young Leaders Program in Korea and Asia Society global fundraising. Ms. Kim is often sought after for her senior-level contacts in Korea’s public and private sectors, as well as in the international business community, to further global programming support, strategic planning, and public relations for global outreach. Previously, Ms. Kim worked as the Chief of Staff of Operations in her capacity as the Executive Associate for the Senior Vice President of Operations at Asia Society’s New York headquarters.
Prior to joining Asia Society, Ms. Kim worked as the Manager of Special Events in Columbia University’s Office of the President for 3 years, where she developed and produced programs and VIP events for over 20,000 guests each academic year, including the World Leaders Forum and Heads of State visits during the United Nations General Assembly, with esteemed guests such as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, President Jalal Talabani of Iraq, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan, President Václav Havel of the Czech Republic, Zhang Yimou, Tan Dun, and the Honorable David Dinkins. Ms. Kim also held varying roles at Columbia University's financial management and administrative departments from 1998-2007, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Office of Administrative Planning and Financial Management, and the Graduate School of Journalism.
Ms. Kim is also noted for her contributions to news media. She has worked for Newsweek; WZRC-NY Radio Korea; and New York’s WMBC-TV Channel 63. Ms. Kim was born in Seoul, Korea, and was educated in Hong Kong and in the United States. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in East Asian Studies.
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Mr. Matthew Fennell, Senior Manager, Content Development
Matthew Fennell is currently the Senior Manager of Content Development at Asia Society Korea, having first joined the organization in 2013. He is responsible for managing all aspects of content writing and editing. Matthew has been involved in education for over 15 years and is currently a Teaching Professor at Sookmyung Women’s University TESOL Program specializing in second language acquisition.
His previous experience includes four years working in Moscow as an Education Consultant and seven years as a Professor at Hanyang University. Matthew has a deep knowledge of the Korean education system and worked with the Korea Ministry of Education, Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE), and the National Institute for International Education (NIIED).
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Mr. Wesley Chang, Digital Contents Manager
Wesley Chang is a graduate of Visual Communication Design from Hongik University in Seoul.
Ms. Michelle Yaeri Kang, Senior Officer, Program and Content
Michelle Yaeri Kang joined Asia Society Korea in October 2022. She is currently studying International Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. While working as a radio writer and personality, she grew a passion for engaging with an audience and building cultural bridges through various media platforms. Michelle has also put this to practice by running marketing campaigns during her time with SNOW Corp.
Ms. Amy Suna Kim, Program Coordinator
Amy Suna Kim recently graduated with a master’s degree in International Studies from the Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University. Before this, Amy lived in the U.S., where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Religion at Cornell College. Amy is not new to Asia Society. Previously, she assisted our colleagues at Asia Society Philippines as a program management intern. Amy will be responsible for brainstorming new ideas for upcoming projects and raising the visibility of Asia Society Korea across various audiences. She is fluent in both English and Korean.
Ms. Amelia Joohyeong Cho, Policy & Business Research
Amelia Joohyeong Cho is an undergraduate at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies studying Political Science and Diplomacy, holding an extensive background in the field of international relations and journalism. With a growing interest in sociology and social activism, Amelia has long been a member of the United Nations Association of the ROK where she continues to channel her passion for writing and reporting. Amelia plans to pursue professional journalistic work in the near future.
Mr. Jason Sungjae Park, Policy & Business Research
Jason Sungjae Park is a 22-23 MSc candidate in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). From 2016 to 2022, Jason completed his Bachelor of Arts in African Studies and Political Science and Diplomacy at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Previously, he had experience in the assistance of writing Security and Conflicts reports - World War Watch (WoWW) - for the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis (KIDA) regarding African conflicts. As a junior researcher, Jason has shared his passion for examining current international affairs and security issues in terms of the Small Arms trade and development within foreign policy analysis.
