SEOUL-- Cho Seung-hwan, the nominee for South Korea's new oceans minister, is a veteran bureaucrat who has built various expertise in the maritime field.

The former head of the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion (KIMST) graduated from Korea University in Seoul in 1990 and started his career as a civil servant after passing the state exam in the same year.

Born in the southern port city of Busan, the 56-year-old has held major positions at the oceans ministry since 2003 and served as the head of Busan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries in 2016.

While serving as the chief of KIMST in 2018-2021, Cho led efforts to support research and development in the maritime fields and various related projects, including the development of smart maritime farming.

Based on his 27-year-long career in public services, Cho is expected to respond to global maritime challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic and technological transformation.

Source: Yonhap News Agency