Young-hwan Cha currently serves as the CEO and President of Korea Trade Network (KTNET), which is a company that operates the uTradeHub, the national platform to facilitate electronic trade. Since 1991, KTNET has been providing diverse services, in particular electronic customs clearance, a letter of credit negotiation service between banks and shippers, cargo manifest declaration services for shipping companies and origin verification services for the application of FTA preferred tariff.

He has managed e-trade, e-customs, and e-procurement systems development and consulting projects in 11 countries, including Peru, Paraguay, Egypt, Viet Nam and the Philippines. He established the KTNET Vision 2030, a road map for KTNET’s future that places on digital transformation, globalization and collaborative partnerships through 2030. He was recognized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) for his contributions to eTrade with the Trade Facilitation and Innovation Award in 2022.

Prior to joining KTNET, Mr. Cha served as a government official, mainly formulating economic policies. During his tenure, he held various positions, including Secretary for Economic Policy in the Office of the President, Vice-Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, and Director-General of the Policy Coordination Bureau in the Ministry of Economy and Finance. He also worked as a Senior Economist at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank Group).

Mr. Cha holds a Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University. He also received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Missouri in the United States.