Hong Ick-hee: Bestselling Author of The Story of the Jews, Jewish Economic History, and The Story of Five Commodities That Changed the World

After graduating from the Department of Spanish at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Hong Ick-hee joined KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) in 1978. He served in various global trade centers including Bogotá, São Paulo, and Madrid, and held leadership positions as the Director of the Gyeongnam Trade Center and Mexico, Madrid, and Milan Trade Centers, as well as Deputy Director of the New York Trade Center. He retired in 2010 and currently serves as a professor at Sejong University, teaching Leadership and Understanding Western Religion.

During his 32-year career on the front lines of global trade, he closely observed the strengths and weaknesses of the Jewish people. Believing that South Korea's future lies in the service industries they lead rather than in manufacturing, he spent a decade researching Jewish economic history, tracing their trajectory from Abraham to modern-day Wall Street.

The culmination of this research, The Story of the Jews (2013), became a major bestseller. His subsequent works, including The Story of Three Religions and his monetary economics series—The Story of the Dollar, The Story of Exchange Rate Wars, and The Story of Wall Street—were also highly received, establishing him as a prominent bestselling author.

His other notable publications include Exquisite Scenarios for the Korean Economy, The Truth About the Financial Crisis of the Early 21st Century, Who Are the Jews to Us?, The Secret of Jewish Creativity, Jewish Education Completed at Age 13, The Story of Five Commodities That Changed the World, and The Story of Food That Changed the World.