Professor Choi Baek-ryeol (Department of International Trade, College of Business and Economics) was recently elected the 18th President of the Korean Association for International Trade (Incorporated) and will serve a one-year term beginning March 1.

The Korean Association for International Trade (Incorporated) is an academic society with approximately 300 participants, including university professors and researchers from government-funded research institutes who study international trade. The society actively engages in academic exchanges both domestically and internationally. Its journal, International Trade Research, is an indexed publication and is regarded as an excellent scholarly journal.

Professor Choi said, 'Amid current global economic difficulties, I will strive to make the association one that proposes national international trade policies to help find paths for the Korean economy.' He added, 'In particular, to strengthen Jeonbuk's international competitiveness in the Saemangeum era, I will host policy seminars inviting prominent domestic and international scholars to contribute to the development of the Jeonbuk economy.'

Professor Choi, who has been on the faculty of Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) since 1991, has held positions including Deputy Head of Student Affairs and Vice-Chair of the Faculty Council. He served as Secretary-General of the National Federation of Faculty Associations of Public Universities in 2010 and last year served as President of the Korea-China Association of Business Administration (Incorporated).