Where did you grow up ?
I grew up in Seoul, South Korea. It is a charming city known for its long history, modern tech, and vibrant culture. To me, Seoul is a place of soul cuisine and ultra-fast delivery. 

What were your hobbies as a child ?
Stargazing plus amateur astronomy. I was a member of the girl scouts for years. I also built a lot of Lego technic.

What is your main research focus ?
My research interests are in the areas of banking, corporate finance, financial institutions, and climate finance.

What attracted you to Switzerland, University of Basel and SFI ?
University of Basel is the oldest university in Switzerland (founded in 1460) and has a history of a great academic environment and achievement. The location of the university is also rooted in the culturally rich Basel region with close ties to the world-leading pharmaceutical companies. My faculty, Unibas WWZ, is very collegial, supportive, and stable. It is such a privilege that I can join University of Basel and SFI. Switzerland, of course, is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. 

What research, that you are working on right now, are you really excited about and why ?
My current research projects are mostly a combination of financial institutions and climate finance. My research is mostly empirical and closely connected to economic and finance theory. I often seek to disentangle competing theories using observational empirical data. In recent work, I investigated the impact of climate change exposure on bank default probability and found that the impact is amplified for banks experiencing deposit withdrawal. In other work, I show that climate change uncertainty depresses corporate investment decisions, documenting that the negative effects are pronounced for firms with higher operating inflexibility and less redeployable capital. I also find that the firm-level skilled labor exposed to more frequent climate disasters affects corporate financial policies. 

What is the next research problem you plan to work on ?
For the next project, I will carefully research the impact of adaptation/transition policy on the banking industry. I’d like to investigate whether adaptation policy/strategy can build resilience against adverse impacts caused by uncertainties such as climate change. Broadly speaking, my genuine interest is in banking fragility. I’d like to study the background mechanism of financial stability, examine the main prediction using observational data, and derive the novel contribution.

Where did you go to University ?
Ewha Womans University.

Where did you do your PhD ? 
Rutgers University.

Who was your PhD Advisor ?
My PhD advisor was Prof. Darius Palia. He is very thoughtful and opens many opportunities for students to make genuine learning and lay out their own research. I also appreciate my dissertation committee professors, Prof. Yangru Wu, Prof. Jin-mo Kim, and Prof. Kent Daniel for their generous support and sharing knowledge and experience. Last but not least, I want to thank Prof. Abraham Ravid and Prof. Ghon Rhee for numerous help, support, and mentorship. 

Any anecdote or memory from your time as PhD ?
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey. All classes were canceled for a week. My home lost power for several weeks. Back then, over 8 million people in New Jersey were without power. I was one of them. In my home, no electricity means no heat, so I had to survive the quite cold November. Sandy in 2012 made me realize that utilities are important, and appreciate every (perhaps unnoticeable) little thing in my life.

What languages do you speak ?
Korean and English

Tell us something exciting that happened to you in the last five-ten years (it doesn’t have to be related to research) ?
My first home-made fried chicken was good.

What do you do in your spare time ?
Listening to music and driving on scenic roads.

What is your favorite holiday destination ?
Anywhere with a nice breeze, warm sunshine without hustle and bustle.

What is your favorite quote ?
“Haste makes waste”.