SEOUL-- Environment Minister nominee Han Wha-jin, an honorary researcher of the Korea Environment Institute, is a former scientist with career experience in the field of air pollution and climate change.

Born in 1959, Han finished her undergraduate and masters studies in chemistry at Korea University and later earned her doctorate degree through researching ozone generation at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Han was a founding member of the Korea Environment Institute and worked there as a researcher for 23 years. She also served as presidential secretary for environment at Cheong Wa Dae from 2009 and 2010 during the Lee Myung-bak administration.

Later, Han served as a member of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and the Green Growth Committee under the Prime Minister's Office. She also served as the head of the Korea Foundation for Women in Science Engineering and Technology from 2016 to 2019.

Source: Yonhap News Agency