Seoul appoints Professor Kim Hyun-chul as Health Commissioner

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has appointed Professor Kim Hyun-chul of Yonsei University College of Medicine as the new Seoul Health Commissioner. The position is a non-standing role with a two-year term, designed to integrate external expertise into city administration.

Professor Kim is both a medical doctor and an economist. He holds a PhD in economics from Columbia University and has previously served as a professor at Cornell University and a tenured professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research, which has appeared in journals such as Science, focuses on how economic methods can analyze factors affecting human life, including health, education, labor, and demographics.

In his new role, Kim will advise on policies that impact the physical, mental, and social health of citizens. His mandate extends beyond traditional healthcare to include addressing the effects of demographic shifts, income, education, employment, and living environments. This appointment follows a vacancy left after the previous commissioner resigned in December last year.