Prof. Suh to Head IUCN Asia Regional Committee
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Prof. Suh Young-bae of Seoul National University's natural products research institute was named the inaugural chairman the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asia regional committee, the Ministry of Environment said Monday.
The committee comprises of 23 Asian countries including North Korea, China, Japan and India. The 52-year-old environmentalist will govern the organization until 2011.
``With nearly 60 percent of global population living in Asia, finding ways to harmonize economic development and environmental protection in Asian region is very urgent,'' Suh told The Korea Times. ``As a leader of the committee, I will do my best to find the solution.''
Born in 1956, he graduated from Seoul National University (SNU), majoring in botany. He also earned his masters and doctorate degree in botany from SNU and University of Texas at Austin, respectively.
IUCN, founded in 1948, is a major international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation.