Soohyung Lee

Soohyung Lee is currently a faculty member in the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University (SNU).

Dr. Lee is an economist, specializing in data-based research topics that examine the determinants of the efficiency of individuals and the market as a whole. Her fields of research lie at the intersection of Econometrics, Labor, Public, Development, and Market Design.

Her research is well recognized in the communities of economists, policymakers, and the news media. She has received various awards, including the Korean American Economic Association’s Young Economist Award (2016), the ChosunBiz’s nomination at “Prominent Korean Economists Under 50” (2016), the Hankyung’s Dasan Young Economist Award (2017), and the Korean Economic Association’s Award for Applied Microeconomists (2020). She has advised international organizations (e.g., World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank), Korean government agencies (e.g., Ministry of Finance, Financial Services Commission), and private institutes (e.g., Naver.com, CSES). Dr. Lee’s research and interviews have been featured in well-renowned news sources such as Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Slate, Joongang, Chosun, Donga, Hankook, Maekyung, Hankyung, Yeonhap, KBS and MBC.

Prior to her appointment at SNU, she was a faculty member in the Economics Department at University of Maryland, College Park and Sogang University, a research fellow at Harvard Business School, and a visiting professor at Hitotsubashi University and Waseda University. She received her PhD from Stanford University and her BA from Seoul National University. Before starting her PhD studies, Dr. Lee served as a Deputy Director in Korea’s Ministry of Finance.

Companies

• Associate Professor, GSIS Seoul National University (2020)
• Associate Professor, Department of Economics Sogang University (2016 — 2020)
• Visiting Scholar Inter-American Development Bank (2019 — 2019)
• Part-time Consultant Inter-American Development Bank (2018 — 2018)
• Part-time Consultant World Bank Group (2018 — 2018)
• Visiting Research Fellow Waseda University (2017 — 2017)
• Assistant Professor University of Maryland College Park (2008 — 2016)
• Part-time Consultant Asian Development Bank (ADB) (2015 — 2015)
• Visiting Professor Hitotsubashi University (2013 — 2013)

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Stanford University (2002 — 2008)
• Bachelor of Arts - BA Seoul National University (1994 — 1998)