Profile: New Policy Chief Ha Jun-kyung Supports Lee's Vision for Fair Growth

On October 1, President Lee Jae-myung appointed Ha Jun-kyung as the new head of the Presidential Policy Office. Ha, an economist, has been instrumental in supporting President Lee's vision for 'fair growth.' He has been recognized for coordinating economic policies as the first Chief of Economic Growth in the Lee administration, following his experience at the Bank of Korea and various financial research institutions.

Born in 1969 in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Ha graduated from Seoul Central High School and earned a degree in economics from Seoul National University. He obtained a master's degree in economics from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in economics from Brown University in the United States.

Ha worked at the Bank of Korea and served as a manager at the Bank's Financial and Economic Research Institute and as a research fellow at the Korea Financial Research Institute after earning his doctorate. He later became a professor in the Department of Economics at Hanyang University’s Erica Campus, focusing on economic growth and finance. He has also participated in policy advisory roles, including as a planning and evaluation committee member for the Korea Economic and Social Research Council and as a member of the National Economic Advisory Council.

Notably, during the 2022 presidential election, Ha chaired the Transformative Fair Growth Strategy Committee for the Democratic Party's candidate, Lee Jae-myung. He is considered one of the key economic advisors involved in shaping the President's economic policy, which emphasizes both growth and fairness.

Ha was appointed as the first Chief of Economic Growth when the Lee administration began in June of last year, and with this latest appointment, he will now serve as the head of the Policy Office. He is expected to leverage his research and policy experience in overseeing both economic and social policies.

Seong Gi-hong, the Chief of Public Relations and Communication at the Blue House, introduced Ha during the announcement briefing, describing him as a leading scholar who has integrated fair growth and the alleviation of polarization into growth strategies. He praised Ha's ability to transform Korea's economic standing from a 'Korea Discount' to a 'Korea Premium' as the first Chief of Economic Growth.

Seong expressed optimism that Ha would create tangible policy changes in areas directly affecting citizens' lives, such as welfare, jobs, education, and housing, by encompassing both social and economic policies.