Full Name
Junkyu Lee Ph.D.
Job Title
Representative
Company
North American Representative Office Asian Development Bank
Speaker Bio
Dr. Junkyu Lee currently serves as ADB’s Representative for the North American Representative Office (NARO) in Washington, D.C., where he leads ADB’s institutional engagement with the United States and Canada. In this role, he strengthens strategic partnerships, promotes private sector participation in ADB-financed operations, and deepens collaboration with think tanks, institutional investors, and development partners.
Prior to his appointment, Dr. Lee served as Director of Finance, leading Finance Sector Strategy, Planning, and Knowledge Solutions in ADB’s Finance Sector Office from June 2023 to February 2026. He oversaw Finance Sector Strategy, resource allocation, and knowledge initiatives supporting financial sector operations across Asia and the Pacific. His portfolios covered financial sector development, regional financial cooperation, financial stability and resilience, and the design of innovative financing mechanisms. During this period, he also mobilized external funding across Europe and Asia and managed the Financial Sector Development Partnership Special Fund (FSDPSF).
From 2019 to 2023, Dr. Lee was Chief of ADB’s Finance Sector Group, where he provided policy leadership on finance operations and spearheaded regional finance knowledge initiatives across developing member countries. An economist by rigorous training, he specializes in financial sector development and international economic policy. He led ADB’s engagement with international policy platforms, including the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group, and worked closely with finance ministries, central banks, and financial regulators to advance financial resilience and capital market development in Asia and the Pacific.
Before joining ADB in 2012, Dr. Lee served at the Republic of Korea Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) as G20 and Senior International Economic Advisor. He was also a member of the Advisory Panel of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) from 2011 to 2012. He has extensive experience in macroprudential policy, capital flow management measures, and financial development policy through the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting process and the ASEAN+3 Finance Process.
Dr. Lee has authored and co-authored numerous publications on financial integration, macro-financial linkages, nonperforming loans, municipal bond markets, and development finance institutions.
Prior to his appointment, Dr. Lee served as Director of Finance, leading Finance Sector Strategy, Planning, and Knowledge Solutions in ADB’s Finance Sector Office from June 2023 to February 2026. He oversaw Finance Sector Strategy, resource allocation, and knowledge initiatives supporting financial sector operations across Asia and the Pacific. His portfolios covered financial sector development, regional financial cooperation, financial stability and resilience, and the design of innovative financing mechanisms. During this period, he also mobilized external funding across Europe and Asia and managed the Financial Sector Development Partnership Special Fund (FSDPSF).
From 2019 to 2023, Dr. Lee was Chief of ADB’s Finance Sector Group, where he provided policy leadership on finance operations and spearheaded regional finance knowledge initiatives across developing member countries. An economist by rigorous training, he specializes in financial sector development and international economic policy. He led ADB’s engagement with international policy platforms, including the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group, and worked closely with finance ministries, central banks, and financial regulators to advance financial resilience and capital market development in Asia and the Pacific.
Before joining ADB in 2012, Dr. Lee served at the Republic of Korea Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) as G20 and Senior International Economic Advisor. He was also a member of the Advisory Panel of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) from 2011 to 2012. He has extensive experience in macroprudential policy, capital flow management measures, and financial development policy through the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting process and the ASEAN+3 Finance Process.
Dr. Lee has authored and co-authored numerous publications on financial integration, macro-financial linkages, nonperforming loans, municipal bond markets, and development finance institutions.
