Han Seung–soo was educated at Yonsei University (BA), Seoul National University (MPA) and University of York, England (Ph.D.1968/D. Univ. 1997). Prior to his entry into politics in 1988, he taught and did research at the Universities of York (1965-68), Cambridge (1968-70), Harvard (1985-86) and Tokyo (1986-87); and had a distinguished academic career as Professor of Economics at Seoul National University (1970-88).
Dr. Han was Korea’s Minister of Trade and Industry (1988-90), Korean Ambassador to the United States (1993-94), Chief of Staff to the President (1994-95), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (1996-97), and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001-02). He was a three–term Member of the Korean National Assembly. Prime Minister Han was President of the 56th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2001-02), Chair of the 2009 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris where he played a pivotal role in unanimously adopting the OECD Declaration on Green Growth on 25 June 2009, UN Secretary–General’s Special Envoy for Climate Change (2007-08) and for Disaster Risk Reduction and Water (2013-18), Special Advisor to the UN/World Bank High–Level Panel on Water (2016-18), Member of the UN Secretary–General’s Advisory Board for Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) (2007-15), Member of the UN Secretary–General’s High–Level Panel for Global Sustainability (GSP) (2010-12), and Founding Chair of Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) (2010-12).
He is currently Chairman of the Council of Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly (UNCPGA), CO–Chairman of the International Finance Forum (IFF), Chairman of the ADB’s Water Advisory Group, Host of the Biennial UN Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters, Member of the WMO Water and Climate Leaders Panel and Senior Adviser at KIM & CHANG law office.
Dr. Han was awarded the 6th European Communities Prize on his doctoral thesis, The Growth and Function of the European Budget, in 1971; received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the United Nations in 2001, and was awarded an honorary Knighthood (KBE) from HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 2004.
