Welcome to the homepage of the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness.

The Presidential Council on National Competitiveness is an advisory body to the President, established to realize the mandate of reviving the economy.

Focal points of the Council's areas of work include: heading regulatory reform and deregulation measures to create a business-friendly environment for both domestic and foreign companies, promoting innovation of the public sector to enhance the efficiency of the national economy, and expanding social capital by making advancements in laws, regulations, and institutional infrastructure.

This homepage will keep you up-to-date on all information related to our major policies and activities. I also hope that our homepage will serve as an open forum in which your valuable comments and advice can be attentively considered and reflected.

The Council, through exhaustive implementation of policy initiatives and efforts, is seeking to play a central role in reviving and upgrading the Korean economy to help it become a leading and advanced economy in the global arena.

I look forward to your continued interest and support.

Thank you.

Il SaKong

Special Economic Advisor to the President and

Chairman of the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness

Il SaKong

Dr. SaKong is Special Economic Advisor to the President and chairs the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness established for deregulation and economic reforms ultimately to expand the nation’s growth potential to the fullest. He chaired the Special Council on National Competitiveness in the Presidential Transition Committee for Korea’s newly elected President Lee Myung-bak. He was Chairman & CEO of the Institute for Global Economics (IGE), a private non-profit research institute based in Seoul, from 1993 to early 2008. He still keeps the IGE chairmanship.

Dr. SaKong served in the government of the Republic of Korea as Minister of Finance (1987-88), Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Affairs (1983-87), Senior Counselor to the Minister of Economic Planning Board (1982) and Senior Economist of the Council on Economic & Scientific Affairs for the President (1979-80). During his tenure at these key posts in the Korean government, Dr. SaKong played the leading role in framing and implementing Korea's most successful development strategy and economic policies of the 1980s.

He also served the Korean government as Ambassador for International Economy and Trade (2000-02), Member of the Council of National Economic Affairs for the President (2001-02), and Senior Member of the Council of National Economic Affairs for the President (2003-04).

Before joining the Korean government, Dr. SaKong was Senior Fellow, Research Director, and Vice-President at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), the leading national economic think-tank for the Korean government (1973-1982). Dr. SaKong also served as President of the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET), another national think-tank (1983).

Dr. SaKong was Special Consultant to the International Monetary Fund (1989-98). He was Chair of the ASEM Vision Group, established at the 1998 ASEM Summit in London. The Vision Group consisted of 26 representatives from ASEM member countries and the European Commission. It authored For a Better Tomorrow: The Asia-Europe Partnership in the 21st Century (1999). He also chaired the Emerging Markets Eminent Persons Group (EMEPG) for reforming international financial architecture. The EMEPG consisted of 11 members, mostly former finance ministers and central bank governors from major emerging market economies in Asia, Latin America and Africa. It published Rebuilding the International Financial Architecture (2001). In addition, he was a member of the Private Independent Experts for APEC, the Korea-U.S. Wisemen Council, the ASEM Task Force for Closer Economic Partnership Between Asia and Europe, and co-host of the Korea-U.S. 21st Century Council. Currently, Dr. SaKong is a member of the Board of Governors of the East-West Center after serving the center as a member of the International Advisory Panel.

Dr. SaKong graduated from Seoul National University (1964) and received his MBA (1966) and Ph.D. (1969) from the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. SaKong taught economics at New York University (1969-73) and the University of Sheffield (1971-1972). Since September 2003, Dr. SaKong has been giving occasional special lectures at Korea University as a Distinguished Professor.

Dr. SaKong has written and edited many books and numerous articles in professional journals dealing with the Korean economy, major issues in economic development, and international finance and trade policy issues. They include: Government, Business, and Entrepreneurship in Economic Development: The Korean Case, Harvard University, 1980 (co-authored); Korea in the World Economy, Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., 1993; The Korea-United States Economic Relationship, Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., 1997 (co-edited); and The World Doesn't Wait for Us, Maeil Business Newspaper, 2001.

Dr. SaKong has received various honors and prizes, including the Korean government's Order of Civil Service Merit "Blue Stripes" (1990), the Republic of China's Order of the Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon (1987), the Kingdom of Belgium's Order of the Crown (1986), the Korean government's Order of Civil Merit “Moran Medal” (1983), and Korea University's Grand Prize for Distinguished Policy Makers (2002).

Dr. SaKong makes frequent contributions to major Korean and international journalistic publications.

• Office of Special Economic Advisor to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness
• Tel. 82-2-770-7680   Fax. 82-2-770-4898
• e-mail. ilsakong@president.go.kr