[Profile] Yeo Hyeongu, Director General for Trade Negotiations... Trade Expert with Extensive US Negotiation Experience

Hyeongu Yeo, the newly appointed Director General for Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, is a trade expert with extensive experience in trade negotiations with major countries, including the United States, during his tenure at the ministry.

Hyeongu Yeo, Director General for Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Born in Seoul in 1969, Yeo graduated from Kyungdong High School and Seoul National University with a degree in Business Administration. He entered public service after passing the 36th Higher Civil Service Examination and has worked at the ministry ever since. He has held key positions related to trade, including Head of the Free Trade Agreement Team, Director General for Trade Policy, and Director General for Trade Negotiations. During the Moon Jae-in administration, he served as Director General for Trade Negotiations?the top trade position?between 2021 and 2022.

Notably, during the first Donald Trump administration, Yeo was deeply involved in the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) renegotiations and steel tariff negotiations as Commercial Counselor at the Korean Embassy in the United States. He is recognized for his in-depth understanding of the Trump administration's negotiation strategies.

After leaving public office, he worked at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a leading US think tank. Given his up-to-date knowledge of the US political and economic landscape around the launch of the Trump second administration, he has consistently been mentioned as one of the most suitable candidates to lead the upcoming tariff negotiations with the United States.

Until recently, as a trade expert, Yeo has advocated through various academic presentations that the government and businesses must work closely together to develop creative negotiation packages capable of persuading the United States.

▲Born in 1969, Seoul ▲Kyungdong High School ▲Seoul National University, Business Administration ▲36th Higher Civil Service Examination ▲Harvard Kennedy School, MPA ▲Harvard Business School, MBA ▲Director General for Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy ▲Secretary for New Southern and New Northern Policy, Presidential Office ▲Director General for Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy ▲Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics