Just prior to joining FAO, Mr Kim served as the Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MIFAFF) in Republic of Korea, from 2010 to 2013. Indeed, he began his career at MIFAFF in 1982, where he held positions of increasing responsibility, in particular Assistant Director and Director of diverse Divisions, including the Food Policy Division, the Rural Development Division and the Agricultural Policy Division.

From 2003 to 2004, Mr Kim served as Secretary-General of the Presidential Commission for Agriculture and Rural Policies and, in the following year, was appointed Minister-Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was responsible for the World Trade Organization (WTO) agricultural affairs.

In 2008, Mr Kim was appointed Director-General of the International Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). In this role, he served as the Republic of Korea’s Head of agricultural negotiations in the Doha Development Agenda of the World Trade Organization (WTO/DDA). In addition, he also led various Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the United States, the European Union and other actors.

Mr Kim was awarded a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Oklahoma State University in the United States, and holds a Bachelor of Economics from Korea University.