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September 19, 2005
Korea’s Cho to spend
year in residence
Lailee Mendelson is communications specialist
for the Office of International Affairs.
Each year, Korea sends several of its most promising senior government
officials to organizations, governments and top universities around
the world for 18 months of research and professional enrichment.
This year, Emory is hosting one of these officials: Kyubum Cho, who
has just arrived on campus and is director of the division of public
relations and international cooperation for the Korean Civil Service
Commission.
The prestigious Korean Government Overseas Research Fellowship,
which began in 1990, sends 20 to 30 top officials from all sectors
of
government abroad
to research subjects deemed important to the Korean government, as well as
to enhance mutual understanding among nations. The majority of selected officials
choose to research in the United States, Cho said, with Europe and China as
close seconds.
This is Cho’s first trip to the United States, and he said
he chose Emory as his host institution based on its strong reputation
in Korea. During his
year on campus, Cho will research policy, systems and practices of administration,
and in particular issues surrounding human resources management, tax laws and
real estate. “This is the best opportunity to upgrade myself,” he
said. “And if there is anything I can do for Emory, I will do my best.”
Born in Seoul, Cho graduated from Seoul National University with
a degree in International Economics in 1985 and began working as
a CPA at Samil Accounting
Corp. Since 1992, he has built a distinguished career of service to the Korean
government, having worked in the ministries of construction and transportation,
and finance and economy.
Cho now is the director of public relations and international cooperation
at the Civil Service Commission (CSC), which is responsible for
establishing policies
regarding recruitment, performance management, promotion and training for high-level
government officials. He received his master’s degree from the University
of Birmingham (UK) in 1997 after being selected by the Korean government for
the Government Overseas Degree Program.
The Office of International Affairs, which has helped coordinate
Cho’s
visit to Emory, will introduce him to various units on campus. He is interested
in researching human resources management and how governments deal with unemployment,
which he says is a growing problem in Korea.
Cho also hopes to begin a comparative study of U.S. and Korean tax
law. “Korea
and the U.S. have a tax treaty,” he said, “and we are trying to
revise it. To make these negotiations go more smoothly, we need to understand
the differences.”
In addition to researching and attending classes, Cho hopes to meet
with faculty, local government officials and business people interested
in these issues. “I
would like to discuss mutual concerns and strengthen cooperation,” he
said. “I also hope to act as liaison for the Korean government.”
If anyone has expertise or contacts in Cho’s areas of interest,
please contact the Office of International Affairs at 404-727-7504.Lailee
Mendelson
is communications specialist for the Office of International Affairs.
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