Appointed After Seven Months of Vacancy, Organization Restructured
A Veteran Diplomat with 30 Years of Frontline Foreign Service
North American Diplomacy and ESG Expert Expected to Bolster Risk Response
Began Duties by Accompanying Koo Kwangmo on Business Trip to China
On January 15, LG Group announced the appointment of Koh Yoonjoo, Chief Sustainability Strategy Officer (CSSO, Executive Vice President) of LG Chem, as the new President of the LG Global Strategy Development Institute. With this move, LG has reorganized its global policy think tank.
The LG Global Strategy Development Institute is a strategic advisory body established in 2023 under the LG Management Development Institute. It comprehensively analyzes changes in overseas political landscapes and major countries' policy shifts that affect LG's business, providing strategic directions for response. The position of president had been vacant for about seven months since June of last year, when former President Yoon Changryeol was appointed as Chief Presidential Secretary for Policy Coordination under the Lee Jaemyung administration.
It is reported that LG selected Koh as the new president after searching for the right candidate at the start of the new year. Koh is a seasoned diplomat with over 30 years of experience on the front lines of foreign affairs. She is recognized as an expert in North American diplomacy with a deep understanding of the North American market and a career in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) fields. Born in 1968, she graduated from Yonsei University and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995 after passing the 29th Foreign Service Examination. She has held various positions in U.S. diplomacy, including First Secretary at the Korean Embassy in the United States, Consul in New York, and Director of the North America Division.
During the first Trump administration in 2019, she served as Director-General for North American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2021, she was appointed Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister for Political Affairs at the Korean Embassy in the United States, gaining a comprehensive understanding of U.S.-Korea diplomatic policy. Drawing on her experience in security and economic cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she was appointed Ambassador for International Relations for Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in 2022, where she provided advice and support on a range of global issues, including Jeju's external economic affairs, attracting international events, and international exchange and cooperation projects.
Since 2024, she has joined LG Chem, overseeing global public affairs and ESG strategy. Based on her in-depth analysis of domestic and international trade policies, she supported business strategy development and led the establishment of global supply chain diversification strategies and the enhancement of carbon reduction capabilities across the supply chain, advancing ESG management sophistication.
At the Global Strategy Development Institute, the company expects her to further strengthen the group-wide policy risk response system by enhancing networks with major governments and international organizations, including the potential second Trump administration, and supporting the development of management strategy scenarios in response to geopolitical risks.
At the beginning of this year, Koh began her work by supporting LG Corp. Chairman Koo Kwangmo, who accompanied the government's state visit to China as part of the economic delegation. Chairman Koo attended the Korea-China Business Forum and the state banquet held in Beijing, where he discussed Korea-China economic cooperation with key business leaders.
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