Kim Nak-hoe, director general of tax analysis and international tax affairs at the Finance Ministry, was picked to head the Tax Tribunal, a state agency empowered to resolve tax disputes.

The tax expert began his career as a public servant in 1984 at the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs and moved around regional offices of the National Taxation Services until 1993 when he was posted to the tax department of the Finance Ministry. He has been known for his leadership in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, pulling off one of the largest tax cuts that contributed to improving fiscal health and keeping budgets balanced.

“I will have to work within boundaries of the legal framework, but I will try my best to protect the rights of those who make tax appeals to the agency,” he said after being appointed. Kim has undergraduate and master’s degrees in public administration from Hanyang University. He earned a Ph.D. in business administration from Kyungwon University in 2010.

By Cynthia J. Kim (cynthiak@heraldcorp.com)