South Korea Taps Oxford-Educated ‘Pragmatic Hawk’ as BOK Chief

Hyun Song Shin, the Oxford-educated economist picked to helm the Bank of Korea, has dedicated his career to studying financial risks. Now, war in the Middle East will put that experience to the test — with earlier rate hikes the likely outcome.

Shin’s nomination to take over from Rhee Chang Yong in April comes as the Iran conflict risks heating up inflation in South Korea and weighing on growth for a nation dependent on Middle Eastern energy imports. He’ll also take over monetary policy in an economy reliant on tech exports and where families are balancing a mountain of household debt with getting a foothold in a soaring property market.