Korea Eximbank taps Hwang Ki-yeon as new president

The Export-Import Bank of Korea has appointed Executive Director Hwang Ki-yeon as its new president and board chair, marking the second time the state-run lender has chosen an internal candidate to lead the institution.

Born in 1968, Hwang studied business administration in college and earned a master's in information business management at Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, or Kaist.

He joined Korea Eximbank in 1990 and has since managed a wide range of departments, including service finance, human resources and strategy planning. In 2023, he became a member of the board as an executive director, overseeing the bank's risk management, digital finance, development finance and federal funds operations.

He also brings international experience with his tenure as head of the bank's Washington office in 2018.

Having traditionally appointed presidents from outside the organization, often with bureaucratic backgrounds, Eximbank named Yoon Hee-sung last year as its first internal chief, followed by Hwang’s appointment this year.

"With another internal official appointed as the president, we anticipate Hwang to contribute to the national economy by expanding policy finance support for Korea-US trade cooperation and advanced strategic industries," a bank official said.

As Eximbank's 23rd president, Hwang will begin his three-year term immediately, filling the leadership vacancy that has persisted since his predecessor's departure in July.