IMF RESEARCHER

Education:

1989 B.A., Economics, Yale University

1991 M.A., Economics, Harvard University

1996 Ph.D., Economics, Harvard University

Previous Experience:

1992-1993 Korea Development Institute (KDI), Korea, Fulbright Fellow

1993-1995 Harvard University, Department of Economics, Teaching Fellow

Awards and Honors:

Harvard University Graduate Fellowship, 1989-91.

1992-1993 Fulbright International Education Dissertation Fellowship, Korea

1992-93 Social Science Research Council Fellowship for Graduate Research in Korea

1994 NCR Foundation East Asia Scholarship

Current Position:

Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy and Review Department (SPR)

IMF Career:

1995 Economist Program

1995-1996 Economist, African Department (AFR

1996-1999 Economist, Policy Development & Review Department (PDR)

1999-2002 Economist, Division 6 (Korea and North Korea), Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2002-2003 Senior Economist, Division 5 (Japan), Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2003-2006 Resident Representative, IMF Korea

2006-2009 Deputy Division Chief, Division 5 (Japan and Federated States of Micronesia), Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2009-2012 Division Chief, Division 1 (Japan), Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2012-2014 Mission Chief for Italy and the Netherlands, European Department (EUR)

2014-2016 Division Chief, Advanced Economies Unit (Euro Area), EUR

2016-2019 Deputy Director, South and Southeast Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and Regional Studies, Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2019-2021 Deputy Director, Northeast Asia (China, Hong Kong SAR, Korea), Myanmar, Thailand, Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2021-present Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy and Review Department (SPR)

Field of Expertise:

Monetary Policy

Banking

Open Economy Macroeconomics

Macro-Financial Issues

International Finance

IMF Books and Working Papers:

Flattening the Insolvency Curve: Promoting Corporate Restructuring in Asia and the Pacific in the Post-C19 Recovery , Working Paper No. 2021/016 , January 29, 2021

What Do Deviations from Covered Interest Parity and Higher FX Hedging Costs Mean for Asia , Working Paper No. 19/169 , August 02, 2019

A Strategy for Resolving Europe's Problem Loans , Staff Discussion Notes No. 15/19 , September 24, 2015

Tackling Small and Medium Enterprise Problem Loans in Europe , Staff Discussion Notes No. 15/4 , March 30, 2015

A Strategy for Developing a Market for Nonperforming Loans in Italy , Working Paper No. 15/24 , February 06, 2015

Raising the Consumption Tax in Japan: Why, When, How? , Staff Discussion Notes No. 11/13 , June 16, 2011

Raising the Consumption Tax in Japan: Why, When, How? , Staff Discussion Notes No. 11/13 , June 16, 2011

“Lost Decade” in Translation:What Japan’s Crisis could Portend about Recovery from the Great Recession , Working Paper No. 09/282 , December 01, 2009

From Crisis to Recovery in Korea: Strategy, Achievements, and Lessons , Working Paper No. 01/154 , October 01, 2001

Other Published Materials

What Do Deviations from Covered Interest Parity and Higher FX Hedging Costs Mean for Asia?

Other Published Materials

Kang, Kenneth, Geena Kim, and Changyong Rhee, 2005, “Developing the Government Bond Market in South Korea: History, Challenges, and Implications for Asian Countries,” Asian Economic Papers, Spring/Summer 2005, Vol. 4, No. 2.

Kang, Kenneth, 2003, “Economic History of South Korea from 1945 to the Present,” in Joel Mokyr, ed., Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History.

Kang, Kenneth, 2003, “The RCC and the Market for Distressed Debt in Japan,” in Tim Callen and Jonathan Ostry, eds., Japan’s Lost Decade, February 2003.

Kang, Kenneth and Vijaya Ramachandran, 1999, “Economic Transformation in Korea: Rapid Growth without an Agricultural Revolution?” Economic Development and Cultural Change, July, 783-801.

Kang, Kenneth, 1994, “Why do Korean Save So ‘Little’ and Why Do They Now Save So ‘Much’?” International Economic Journal, vol. 8, no. 4, Winter, 99-111.

Danninger, Stephan and Kenneth Kang, “Shaken to the Core: The Economic Impact of the Disaster in Japan is Far Reaching,” Finance and Development, Volume 48, Number 2, June 2011.

Kang, Kenneth and Murtaza Syed, 2008, “The Road to Recovery: A View from Japan,” Finance and Development, Volume 45, Number 4, December.

Kang, Kenneth and Jacques Miniane, 2008, “Global Financial Turmoil Tests Asia,” Finance and Development, Volume 45, Number 4, December.

Kang, Kenneth and Song-Yi Kim, 2006, “A Strategy for Restructuring the SME Sector in Korea,” Republic of Korea: Selected Issues, Country Report No. 06/381, October.

Cho, Sungbin and Kenneth Kang, 2002, “Firm Level Analysis of the Korean Corporate Sector, 1996-2000,” Republic of Korea: Selected Issues, Country Report No. 02/20, February.

Chopra, Ajai and Kenneth Kang, 2001, “Reforming and Restructuring the Korean Economy,” Paper presented at the 16th Annual Conference of The Council on U.S.-Korea Security Studies: Dimensions of Korean Security, October 18-20.

Education:

1989 B.A., Economics, Yale University

1991 M.A., Economics, Harvard University

1996 Ph.D., Economics, Harvard University

Previous Experience:

1992-1993 Korea Development Institute (KDI), Korea, Fulbright Fellow

1993-1995 Harvard University, Department of Economics, Teaching Fellow

Awards and Honors:

Harvard University Graduate Fellowship, 1989-91.

1992-1993 Fulbright International Education Dissertation Fellowship, Korea

1992-93 Social Science Research Council Fellowship for Graduate Research in Korea

1994 NCR Foundation East Asia Scholarship

Current Position:

Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy and Review Department (SPR)

IMF Career:

1995 Economist Program

1995-1996 Economist, African Department (AFR

1996-1999 Economist, Policy Development & Review Department (PDR)

1999-2002 Economist, Division 6 (Korea and North Korea), Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2002-2003 Senior Economist, Division 5 (Japan), Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2003-2006 Resident Representative, IMF Korea

2006-2009 Deputy Division Chief, Division 5 (Japan and Federated States of Micronesia), Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2009-2012 Division Chief, Division 1 (Japan), Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2012-2014 Mission Chief for Italy and the Netherlands, European Department (EUR)

2014-2016 Division Chief, Advanced Economies Unit (Euro Area), EUR

2016-2019 Deputy Director, South and Southeast Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and Regional Studies, Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2019-2021 Deputy Director, Northeast Asia (China, Hong Kong SAR, Korea), Myanmar, Thailand, Asia and Pacific Department (APD)

2021-present Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy and Review Department (SPR)

Field of Expertise:

Monetary Policy

Banking

Open Economy Macroeconomics

Macro-Financial Issues

International Finance

IMF Books and Working Papers:

Flattening the Insolvency Curve: Promoting Corporate Restructuring in Asia and the Pacific in the Post-C19 Recovery , Working Paper No. 2021/016 , January 29, 2021

What Do Deviations from Covered Interest Parity and Higher FX Hedging Costs Mean for Asia , Working Paper No. 19/169 , August 02, 2019

A Strategy for Resolving Europe's Problem Loans , Staff Discussion Notes No. 15/19 , September 24, 2015

Tackling Small and Medium Enterprise Problem Loans in Europe , Staff Discussion Notes No. 15/4 , March 30, 2015

A Strategy for Developing a Market for Nonperforming Loans in Italy , Working Paper No. 15/24 , February 06, 2015

Raising the Consumption Tax in Japan: Why, When, How? , Staff Discussion Notes No. 11/13 , June 16, 2011

Raising the Consumption Tax in Japan: Why, When, How? , Staff Discussion Notes No. 11/13 , June 16, 2011

“Lost Decade” in Translation:What Japan’s Crisis could Portend about Recovery from the Great Recession , Working Paper No. 09/282 , December 01, 2009

From Crisis to Recovery in Korea: Strategy, Achievements, and Lessons , Working Paper No. 01/154 , October 01, 2001

Other Published Materials

What Do Deviations from Covered Interest Parity and Higher FX Hedging Costs Mean for Asia?

Other Published Materials

Kang, Kenneth, Geena Kim, and Changyong Rhee, 2005, “Developing the Government Bond Market in South Korea: History, Challenges, and Implications for Asian Countries,” Asian Economic Papers, Spring/Summer 2005, Vol. 4, No. 2.

Kang, Kenneth, 2003, “Economic History of South Korea from 1945 to the Present,” in Joel Mokyr, ed., Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History.

Kang, Kenneth, 2003, “The RCC and the Market for Distressed Debt in Japan,” in Tim Callen and Jonathan Ostry, eds., Japan’s Lost Decade, February 2003.

Kang, Kenneth and Vijaya Ramachandran, 1999, “Economic Transformation in Korea: Rapid Growth without an Agricultural Revolution?” Economic Development and Cultural Change, July, 783-801.

Kang, Kenneth, 1994, “Why do Korean Save So ‘Little’ and Why Do They Now Save So ‘Much’?” International Economic Journal, vol. 8, no. 4, Winter, 99-111.

Danninger, Stephan and Kenneth Kang, “Shaken to the Core: The Economic Impact of the Disaster in Japan is Far Reaching,” Finance and Development, Volume 48, Number 2, June 2011.

Kang, Kenneth and Murtaza Syed, 2008, “The Road to Recovery: A View from Japan,” Finance and Development, Volume 45, Number 4, December.

Kang, Kenneth and Jacques Miniane, 2008, “Global Financial Turmoil Tests Asia,” Finance and Development, Volume 45, Number 4, December.

Kang, Kenneth and Song-Yi Kim, 2006, “A Strategy for Restructuring the SME Sector in Korea,” Republic of Korea: Selected Issues, Country Report No. 06/381, October.

Cho, Sungbin and Kenneth Kang, 2002, “Firm Level Analysis of the Korean Corporate Sector, 1996-2000,” Republic of Korea: Selected Issues, Country Report No. 02/20, February.

Chopra, Ajai and Kenneth Kang, 2001, “Reforming and Restructuring the Korean Economy,” Paper presented at the 16th Annual Conference of The Council on U.S.-Korea Security Studies: Dimensions of Korean Security, October 18-20.