His research focuses on industrial and energy policies in Middle Eastern countries. His recent publications are on ‘Structures and Risk Factors of Islamic Project Finance’, ‘Logistics Hub Strategy of the GCC Countries and Policy Implications’, ‘Financial Cooperation between Korea and the Middle East in the New Industrial and Financial Environment’ and ‘Lower Oil Prices and Economic Cooperation between Korea and the Middle East’. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Economics from Seoul National University and a PhD degree in Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.