After graduating from Hanyang University with a degree in precision mechanical engineering, he worked as an engineer at Ssangyong Engineering before graduating from Seoul National University with a degree in industrial design. He then completed a master’s degree in industrial design at Seoul National University, a master’s degree in interaction design at Carnegie Mellon University, and a doctorate in design at Seoul National University. He has trained designers at Hanyang University and Konkuk University, and is the director of the Korea Institute of Public Design, where he conducts research on urban space, living environment improvement, and urban identity through design.