The Cultural Heritage Administration appointed Choi Young-chang as the new chairman of the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation on Monday.

His term of office runs through May 9, 2024.

Choi succeeds Jin Ok-sub, who had served in the role since January 2018.

Previously, Choi was the head of Jinju National Museum for five years. The museum conducts research, holds exhibitions and offers educational programs on East Asian societies, on the history of the 1592-1598 Imjin War between Joseon and Japan, and on the history and culture of South Gyeongsang Province.

Born in 1964, Choi holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Korea University.

From 2013 to 2015, he was at the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation under the CHA, whose primary task is to introduce Korean cultural heritage outside of Korea.

Before joining the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, he was a reporter for the vernacular daily Munhwa Ilbo from 1992 to 2013.

Established in 1980, the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation is an affiliate of the CHA that focuses on projects that help promote Korean traditional culture.

Its projects include the Royal Culture Festival, a biannual event to encourage people to visit the palaces of the Joseon era, and programs that provide opportunities to experience intangible cultural properties.

As well as hosting diverse performances, holding exhibitions and creating cultural content, since 2013 the agency has carried out official development assistance projects in countries such as Laos, Myanmar and Uzbekistan, to help them safeguard their cultural heritage.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)