홍영기 대사는 1991년 외교부에 입부하여 오랜기간 자동차 등 한-미간 주요 통상 분쟁 업무를 담당하였고, 한-미 FTA 를 포함하여 한-캐나다, 한-호주, 한-뉴질랜드 FTA 등 양자간 주요 통상 협정 교섭에 참여하였으며, 한국과 주요국과의 WTO 분쟁 사건 해결 및 WTO DDA 협상에도 참여한 바 있다. 또한 외교부 국제경제국장으로서 G20, APEC 등 주요 국제포럼에서 무역,환경, 에너지, 전자상거래 등 다양한 이슈를 다루었으며, 북극어업협정 최종 협상에도 참여하였다. 2018년 주쿠웨이트 대사에 이어 2021년 외교부 아프간 TF 본부장 업무를 담당하였으며, 현재 외교부 극지협력대표로 근무하고 있다.

"H.E. Dr. Youngki Hong is Ambassador for Polar Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign of the Republic of Korea. He is a career diplomat who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991. He recently served as Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the State of Kuwait from 2018 to 2021.

He served as Director General for International Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dealing with G20, APEC and other major global economic issues between 2017 and 2018. In 2017, he participated in the last round of negotiations for the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean(CAOFA).

He also served as Deputy Director General for Bilateral Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked as Director for Trade Dispute Settlements in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, handling WTO litigations with foreign trading partners.

For a long time, he actively participated in important trade negotiations including negotiations for Korea-US FTA, Korea-Canada FTA, Korea-Australia FTA and Korea-New Zealand FTA. He participated in negotiations for WTO DDA Non-Tariff Barrier as counselor of the Korean Mission to WTO at Geneva between 2009 and 2012 as well.

He received his Ph.D. in international economic law and M.A.in law from Korea University and his B.A in economics from Seoul National University.
"