Dr. Kyung-Ja Ha officially took office as the 6th Executive Director of the APEC Climate Center (APCC) on Friday, August 14, 2026. She began her three-year term following an inauguration ceremony held at the center's international conference room in Haeundae, Busan.

A highly respected scholar in climate science, Dr. Ha has dedicated her career to educating future generations as a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Pusan National University's College of Natural Sciences. She has also significantly advanced South Korea's national climate research capabilities through her active involvement as an invitational research fellow at the Center for Climate Physics under the Institute for Basic Science (IBS).

In her inaugural address, the new Executive Director presented a bold new vision for the APCC. She announced plans to establish a Global Leadership Network by collaborating closely with international and domestic institutions, including the Korea Meteorological Administration and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Through this network, Dr. Ha aims to solidify the APCC's role as a global climate hub and take the lead in resolving climate inequality currently faced by developing nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Furthermore, she pledged to elevate the center's research expertise by integrating cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into its climate prediction systems. This technological leap, she emphasized, will allow the APCC to produce customized climate information tailored to the practical needs of critical sectors such as energy, agriculture, and disaster management.