Professor Chung Hong-joo, who has dedicated himself to academic advancement and nurturing talent through his research in risk management, financial consumer protection, and sustainable management at the Business School, is retiring.

Having witnessed the university's leap from the 800s in global rankings in the early 1990s to the top 80 today, he played a significant role not only in research and education but also in laying the foundation for the academic community. He broadened the arena for academic exchange by founding the Korean Academy of Financial Consumers, the International Academy of Financial Consumers, and the Korea Mutual Aid Association. He also contributed to the globalization of the Business School through various international cooperation programs.

Having spent a long time in the classroom with students, practicing the true value of research and education, he is now preparing for a new beginning. On the occasion of his retirement, we sat down with him to look back on his 35-year career as a professor, hear about his most memorable moments, his affection for his students, and his plans for the future.

1. How do you feel about concluding your teaching career at the Business School?

I have had a rewarding and blessed career over the past 35 years, working alongside highly knowledgeable and virtuous professors, as well as diligent and capable students, on a park-like campus right in the heart of Jongno, Seoul. In the early 1990s, our university was ranked in the 800s globally, but it has made tremendous progress since then. I am thrilled to retire from a university that is now ranked in the top 80 in the world.

2. Could you briefly introduce your research fields and achievements?

While Korea is one of the safest countries in the world in terms of public security, it remains unstable in other economic and social aspects. With a personal goal of making the country safer, I have spent my life researching various fields, including risk management, sustainable management (ESG), social insurance, and financial consumers. Beyond my own research, I founded three academic societies and served as their inaugural president to create a research platform for many professors (The Korean Academy of Financial Consumers, The International Academy of Financial Consumers, and The Korea Mutual Aid Association). I also served as the president of the Korean Insurance Academic Society and the Asia-Pacific Risk and Insurance Association, contributing to the academic development and the nurturing of scholars in this field.

3. Are there any particularly memorable episodes from your long teaching career?

I remember working as the head of the Globalization Task Force Team (TFT) to obtain our first AACSB accreditation, which is proudly displayed in various places around the Business School. I worked incredibly hard with several professors for two to three years, achieving international accreditation in what was then the shortest time in Korea. Other memorable events include launching the very first overseas block seminars for the MBA program (in Otaru, Japan; Delhi University, India, etc.) and hosting the university's first-ever overseas online special lecture. Traveling to 100 countries is also a rather unique achievement of mine.

4. Are there any students who stand out in your memory among those you met at the Business School? When did you feel the most rewarded?

Although it closed due to COVID-19, it was incredibly rewarding to have produced numerous Master's and Ph.D. graduates from the Global Insurance and Pension Graduate School. These include Calligrapher Shim Hyun-jung (an invited artist of the National Art Exhibition), numerous executives and employees in the insurance industry, Professor Lim So-young of the School of Commerce at Waseda University (which maintains an exchange program with SKKU's Business School), as well as Professor Choi Mi-soo, Professor Lee Yoon, and Professor Yoon Hyung-bin, who are all active in universities at home and abroad.

5. What are your plans after retirement?

I plan to continue my academic and teaching activities related to global sustainable management and financial consumer protection. In particular, I would like to try creating affordable textbooks for developing countries. To maintain my health, I also plan to continue practicing Kouksundo (Korean Taoist yoga) and traveling domestically and internationally.

6. Finally, do you have a message for the members of the SKKU Business School?

I believe we are living in a time where it is very difficult to stay grounded and protect oneself amidst the new international political and economic order and the AI revolution. In times like these, we must strengthen our learning in international business and AI utilization. It also seems necessary to expand the role of the Business School by taking an interest in new worlds—such as the Islamic world, which accounts for 25% of the global population, or developing nations—and bridging development cooperation with corporate exchange.