KOREA—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has appointed Ji Yeon Ryu as its new Resident Representative in Korea.

IFC said in a statement that the appointment was effective as from November 4th,2019 and that Ryu will be responsible for encouraging Korean investments in emerging markets.

 The global development institution added that Ryu will be managing its relationships with key Korean government agencies, development partners and private sector stakeholders.

“I look forward to working with the Korean private sectors to position IFC as the partner of choice for high-impact projects,” said Ryu, IFC’s new Resident Representative in Korea.

She further noted that “with our extensive global experience, IFC is in a position to support Korean sponsors who seek new markets and opportunities in and outside of Asia.”

Ryu joined the World Bank Group in 2007 in Washington D.C. and has worked for various departments at IFC and IBRD in Washington D.C., Paris, and Nairobi, covering Infrastructure Advisory, SME Solutions Program, and Water Global Practice.

For the past four-and-a-half years, she was leading a knowledge, portfolio, and conflict sensitivity program as Senior Operations Officer of the Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations (FCS) in Africa Program in the Middle East and Africa region.

Ryu holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University, New York, the United States, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Diplomacy from Dongguk University in Seoul, Korea.

Since 1985, has been working closely with Korean corporates and banks on developing projects and investment opportunities across sectors including power, manufacturing, and financial institutions in emerging markets.

 The development institution has so far provided over $10 billion in financing, including $6.7 billion mobilized from other investment partners, to nearly 100 Korean projects around the world.

The latest IFC investment involving Korean companies was conducted late October this year, where it finalized a $453 million debt financing package to support a landmark hydroelectric plant in Nepal.

The project is being developed by Nepal Water and Energy Development Company, a joint venture of Korea South-East Power, Daelim Industrial, Kyeryong Construction Industrial, IFC and other partners.