Chin Dong-Soo

President, Korea Eximbank (Kexim)

Chin Dong-soo studied law at Seoul National University and economics at Boston University, United States. He joined South Korea's Finance Ministry in 1977. During his long tenure there, he was involved in efforts to improve transparency in South Korea's financial system. Chin led banking reform efforts after Korea's banks were hit by the Asian financial crisis of 1997.

Chin served three years as a World Bank Deputy Director (2001-2004) and coordinated Korea's international financial affairs as Vice-Minister of Finance and Economy from May 2006 until he became President of Kexim in July 2008.

Some 13% of Korea's bilateral aid went to Africa in 2007 through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, Kexim's aid agency. Eleven countries shared US$430 million, with Angola taking about a third of the money for agriculture and information technology infrastructure projects. At a KOAFEC workshop in Ghana in July 2008, Korea promised to commit $1.5 billion to Africa between 2008 and 2012.

Kexim still has to raise its African profile. Out of more than a dozen offices worldwide, there is not one in Africa.