This year’s high-level session on CJK+ASEAN Cooperation on Green Growth and Sustainable Development is strategically timed to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. This deliberate scheduling is a key feature of the session, recognizing APEC as a premier forum for advancing trade, investment, and sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. The session aims to leverage the CJK’s diverse experiences in clean energy transition, carbon market development, and green finance to inform and inspire scaled-up climate action across ASEAN member economies. By creating an interactive platform for “know-how” sharing, the session will culminate in a collective call for accelerated climate action, setting the stage for a subsequent day focused on carbon markets, thereby directly contributing to APEC’s overarching goal of a “sustainable, innovative, and inclusive” future.
Sang-Hyup Kim became Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) on January 1, 2025, returning to the organization he helped establish in 2012. His 40-year career spans media, academia, and policymaking, dedicated to sustainable development and climate action.
He previously co-chaired Korea’s Presidential Commission on 2050 Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth and has advised KAIST, where he also serves as Visiting Professor. He was President of the Jeju Research Institute, Director of KAIST’s Center for Sustainable Development, and founder of the Coalition for Our Common Future, alongside numerous national and regional leadership roles.
Mr. Keeyong Chung was appointed as the Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, effective October 7, 2024. In this capacity, he serves as Korea’s chief negotiator for the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. Prior to this role, Ambassador Chung was appointed as the Special Representative for the Indo-Pacific in February 2024, where he worked to strengthen Korea’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and enhance strategic communication and cooperation with key countries both in the region and globally.
A career diplomat since 1993, Ambassador Chung has played a leading role in the Korean government’s efforts on a broad range of issues, including the ROK-US alliance, maritime delimitation and state responsibilities, and climate change. He previously served as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Morocco (July 2021–February 2024), Director-General for Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Scientific Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (September 2019–July 2021), Director of Governance at the Global Green Growth Institute (September 2016–September 2019), and Director of the International Legal Affairs Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (July 2011–July 2013). He has also served in the Korean embassies in Washington D.C., Tokyo, and Sofia.
Ambassador Chung holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and an LL.B. from Seoul National University.
Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea
Mr.Liu served as the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs from 2017 to 2022 and Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of China from 2013 to 2017. Among his various diplomatic assignments, he served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland (2011-2013). He was deeply involved for 10 years in climate change negotiations including the conclusion of the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. He also widely participated in the international activities on the protection of our planet including Antarctica and the oceans. Over the last several years, in various capacities, he has been consistently highlighting and advocating for sustainable development issues.
Mr.Liu started his career at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in 1982. Since then, he has served the Ministry in various capacities, including as Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs (2009-2011); Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations (2006-2009); Director-General, Department of Treaty and Law (2003-2006); and Deputy Director-General, Department of Treaty and Law (1998-2003). He also served in the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland (1992-1995) and in the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations (1984-1988).
Mr.Liu holds a Master of Laws from the Law School of Peking University.
Ambassador and Assistant Minister/ Director-General for Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
Deputy Secretary General of Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat
This year’s high-level session on CJK+ASEAN Cooperation on Green Growth and Sustainable Development is strategically timed to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. This deliberate scheduling is a key feature of the session, recognizing APEC as a premier forum for advancing trade, investment, and sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. The session aims to leverage the CJK’s diverse experiences in clean energy transition, carbon market development, and green finance to inform and inspire scaled-up climate action across ASEAN member economies. By creating an interactive platform for “know-how” sharing, the session will culminate in a collective call for accelerated climate action, setting the stage for a subsequent day focused on carbon markets, thereby directly contributing to APEC’s overarching goal of a “sustainable, innovative, and inclusive” future.