After obtaining a doctorate degree in public administration at the University of Southern California, he served as an assistant researcher at the Korea Institute for Public Administration and the head of the Cooperative Conflict Management Center. He is currently a professor at Soongsil University and serves as president of the Korean Association for Local Government Studies (KALGS). His research areas include local government and intergovernmental relations, public personnel, organization theory, and public management. His publications include Leader and Leadership (2017), Administrative Ethics (2021), and New Local Council Theory (2019).