Born in Kangwon Do, Republic of Korea in 1928, the Honorable Cho Soon has served with great distinction both in academia and in public office. Dr. Cho earned a degree in Economics from Bowdoin College in 1960, and later continued his studies at the University of California, Berkeley where he received his PhD in Economics in 1967. He has served as a lecturer at the Korean Military Academy, as an Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, and both as Dean and Professor of Economics at Seoul National University.
Prior to assuming his post as Mayor, Dr. Cho served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economic Planning Board. Dr. Cho has also held the position of Governor of the Bank of Korea. Dr. Cho has five publications to his credit, including his most recent work in 1994 entitled, "The Dynamics of Korean Economic Development."