Former Finance Minister Jin Nyum has been appointed the new director of the Academy of Korean Studies, the state-run research and educational institute announced Monday.

Jin, who served as the deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance from 2001 to 2002, worked as one of the senior advisers to Samjong KPMG — one of the country’s largest accounting firms — and a chair professor at Chonbuk National University, prior to being appointed as the new director of the AKS.

A graduate of Seoul National University’s economics department, he received his Master’s degree in economics from Washington University in 1968. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Hanyang University in Seoul in 1988.

Jin also served as the Planning and Budget Commission chairman in 1998, and planning and budget minister in 1999.

His term as the director of AKS lasts three years.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)