Dr Young Tae Kim of Korea has been chosen as the new Secretary-General of the International Transport Forum (ITF) by the transport ministers of ITF member countries at their annual summit in Leipzig.
The International Transport Forum is an intergovernmental organisation with 59 member countries and the only global body with a mandate for all transport modes.
Dr Kim will succeed Professor José Viegas, who has led ITF since 2012 and whose five-year term ends on 12 August 2017.
Secretary-General-elect Kim said, “I thank the Ministers for entrusting me with the important mission to serve the ITF. I appreciate their trust and strong support. I will apply my experience and abilities to make our Forum a more interactive platform that will bring value to the member countries.”
Mr. Gerardo Ruíz Espárza, Secretary of Transportation and Communications of Mexico, which currently holds the ITF presidency, said, “His extensive transport and urban planning experience of more than 20 years will allow Mr. Young Tae Kim to successfully lead the International Transport Forum. He is a born leader, with international experience and multilingual. He has been part of the International Forum’s Transport Management Board for the past two years, which gives him thorough knowledge of the organisation. His interest in sustainable development, smart technology and security as well as his sensitivity in tackling complex issues and working in a team are clear assets for his new role. We are sure he will do a great job.”
Dr Kim assumes the leadership of the ITF Secretariat from a distinguished career in the Korean civil service. Appointed Deputy Director-General in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) in 2015, he has been responsible for the coordination of transport policy including policy on autonomous vehicles, greenhouse gas reduction, urban transport, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and road safety, among others.
After joining MOLIT in 1994 as Deputy Director for Urban Transport, Dr. Kim also held several Deputy Director and Director positions with responsibility for housing welfare, integrated city development and overseas infrastructure construction. In addition, he was seconded to the Prime Minister’s Commission on Administration Reform in 1996 and the Presidential Committee on Social Inclusion in 2005-07. From 2010 to 2014, Dr Kim worked in Washington, D.C. as Counsellor for Construction, Transport and Maritime Affairs at the Korean Embassy.
Dr. Kim earned Master’s degrees in Public Policy from Seoul National University, Korea, and in Urban Studies from Paris University de Vincennes-Saint-Denis, France. He received his Doctorate in Political Sociology and Public Policy from the Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po), Paris, France. Dr. Kim speaks fluent English, French and some Spanish, in addition to his native Korean.
