Biography
Seok-Hyun Hong is the owner and Chairman of JoongAng Holdings, the largest media group in Korea with 26 outlets spanning newspapers, broadcasting, publishing, entertainment, and digital media. In recognition of his leading transformations in the media industry, Mr. Hong served as President of the World Association of Newspapers, as well as President of the Korean Association of Newspapers.
Mr. Hong has been active in public service. In the 1970s and ‘80s, he worked as an economist at the World Bank and was a senior fellow at the Korea Development Institute(KDI). He also served as the Korean ambassador to the United States, and more recently, visited Washington, D.C. as President Moon Jae-in’s Special Envoy to the United States.
Mr. Hong is currently the Deputy Chairman for the Asia Pacific Group of the Trilateral Commission, a member of the 21st Century Council of the Berggruen Institute on Governance, and President of the Organizing Committee of the World Culture Open(WCO). He served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Asia Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies(CSIS), was a member of the Chatham House Panel of Senior Advisers, and Chairman of the Korea Baduk(Go) Association and President of the International Go Federation. Mr. Hong is deeply committed to unification issues. As Chairman of the Korean Peninsula Forum, he planned and oversaw the launch of the Korea Peace Foundation in 2017. As Chairman of this new Foundation, Mr. Hong aims to seek and propose creative alternatives and strategies to foster a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Mr. Hong received his bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from Seoul National University and earned both a master’s in industrial engineering and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.
Mr. Hong has been active in public service. In the 1970s and ‘80s, he worked as an economist at the World Bank and was a senior fellow at the Korea Development Institute(KDI). He also served as the Korean ambassador to the United States, and more recently, visited Washington, D.C. as President Moon Jae-in’s Special Envoy to the United States.
Mr. Hong is currently the Deputy Chairman for the Asia Pacific Group of the Trilateral Commission, a member of the 21st Century Council of the Berggruen Institute on Governance, and President of the Organizing Committee of the World Culture Open(WCO). He served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Asia Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies(CSIS), was a member of the Chatham House Panel of Senior Advisers, and Chairman of the Korea Baduk(Go) Association and President of the International Go Federation. Mr. Hong is deeply committed to unification issues. As Chairman of the Korean Peninsula Forum, he planned and oversaw the launch of the Korea Peace Foundation in 2017. As Chairman of this new Foundation, Mr. Hong aims to seek and propose creative alternatives and strategies to foster a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Mr. Hong received his bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from Seoul National University and earned both a master’s in industrial engineering and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.
