Ik Kyo Chung has been a professor within the Division of Oceanography, Pusan National University (PNU), since August 1988. Currently he is a director of the Marine Research Institute of PNU and the President of Korea Chapter - World Aquaculture Society.
His specialty areas are macroalgal ecophysiology and seaweed mariculture. Recently, he directed the project, ‘Greenhouse gas emissions reduction using seaweeds’ from the Korean Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries (2006-2011). During this period, he organized NGO Side Events at COP-13 and COP-14 as well as Exhibitions at COP-15, COP-16, and COP-17 of the UNFCCC under the theme of ‘Seaweed Solution: Sink, Biofuel and Paper.’
Since joining the Korean Society of Phycology (KSP) in 1987, Dr. Chung has served as the Editor-in-Chief of Algae (formerly Journal of the Korean Society of Phycology), and was an Executive Council member for KSP from 1999 to 2005. Other professional services include being a member of the Council for the Korean Society of Oceanography (2000-2001), Executive Committee for the Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science (2012), and Executive Board for the Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (2009-2011). He earned his B.S. (1976) and M.S. degrees (1978) in Botany from Seoul National University, plus a second M.S. degree (1985) in Marine Environmental Science and a Ph. D. degree (1987) in Oceanography from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.” Dr. Chung was born on August 18, 1953, and grew up in Korea.