Rhee Changyong

Rhee Chang-yong (; born 16 May 1960) is a South Korean economist who served as the 27th Governor of the Bank of Korea, from April 2022 to April 2026.

Early life and education Rhee was born in Nonsan, South Korea, in 1960. Rhee holds two degrees in economics - a bachelor from Seoul National University and a doctorate from Harvard University. After his doctoral studies, he taught at economics departments at University of Rochester and Seoul National University.

Early Career Prior to moving to the IMF as the first South Korean to join its senior leadership, Rhee was the chief economist at the Asian Development Bank where he worked as its spokesperson and head of its Economic and Research Department. Before joining inter-governmental organisations, he first served as an advisor to multiple South Korean government organisations on economic policies from the early 2000s and then joined the transition team of then-president-elect Lee Myung-bak in 2007. Following President Lee's restructuring of government entities, Rhee took the first deputy role of the Financial Services Commission from 2008 to 2009 before joining the Presidential Committee for the 2010 G-20 Seoul Summit as its Secretary-General and Sherpa.

Governor of the Bank of Korea In March 2022 President Moon Jae-in tapped Rhee who had led the Asia and Pacific Department at the International Monetary Fund over 8 years for the country's top monetary policy chief upon recommendations from president-elect Yoon Suk Yeol. On 19 April, a nomination hearing was held at the National Assembly where his nomination report was adopted and sent to the President. President Moon appointed Rhee on the following day commencing his four-year term as the Governor

During the nomination hearing, Rhee vowed to utilise the central bank's "unpopular" tool of base rate to address post-pandemic inflation reiterating the organisation's role in price stabilisation.

On April 18, 2024, Rhee attended the G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington, D.C. and the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group (WBG) Spring Conference. Later, on April 21, the meeting period, he was selected as the winner of the American Foreign Policy Association's medal and will participate in the ceremony.

On April 20, 2026, Rhee finished his term as the Governor of the Bank of Korea.

Honours