Kim Yong-Shik

Dr Yong-Shik Kim gained a degree in Forestry from the Jeonbuk National University and both MSc and PhD in Forestry from the Seoul National University. His postdoctoral research included a study of the conservation of threatened plant species at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the Botany Department of the University of Reading, UK. During the last three decades, based at the Department of Landscape Architecture, Yeungnam University, he has been monitoring threatened flora, leading habitat restoration in protected areas, and Red Listing of Korean threatened plant species. In 1999 he formed and has since chaired the IUCN SSC Korean Plant Specialist Group supporting the conservation of Korean plant diversity. He also works on botanical garden management in Korea, linking closely with Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and most recently he was the Director of the Chollipo Arboretum Foundation until 2022. Yong-shik Kim is not just a top botanist, he is also a bundle of smiles and fun, and loves nothing more than showcasing Korean culture and in particular its wonderful cuisine!