Francis Kim

Associate Professor, Finance

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Dr. Francis Kim earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Seoul National University. He began his career at a merchant banking corporation in Seoul, South Korea, where he spent seven years trading foreign currencies and derivatives, investing in international bonds, and arranging overseas syndicated loans. He also gained experience managing equity and futures portfolio funds for one year at an investment bank. In 2000, Dr. Kim joined the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC)—the equivalent of the FDIC in the United States—as a financial market researcher. In the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, KDIC played a vital role in reforming the country’s financial industry. Dr. Kim served as a financial industry reform manager and as senior secretary to the Chairman and President. His dedication and contributions were recognized by the corporation, which awarded him support for his further studies abroad.

In 2005, Dr. Kim began graduate studies in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, earning his master’s degree in January 2008. He enrolled in the PhD program in finance at Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2008 and received his doctorate in December 2011. After eleven years of teaching at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, Dr. Kim joined Furman University in the fall of 2023. At Furman, he teaches corporate finance, investments, and international finance, with plans to teach courses in financial institutions and markets, advanced corporate finance, and risk management. He also serves as faculty advisor for the Furman Investment Club.

Dr. Kim has been interviewed by major newspapers and has appeared on national television broadcasters in South Korea, including prime-time news segments. He has provided expert commentary on financial markets and monetary policy and regularly contributes columns to newspapers and online publications. He is also the author of two best-selling books. Dr. Kim enjoys skiing and cooking. He also likes to read, watch movies, and travel with his family. He enjoys engaging in conversation and is usually in his office during the day, except when teaching, attending meetings, or out for a stroll or lunch.

Honors & Awards

  • Research grant from Korean American Finance Association and Financial News (2023). The Fed's Surprising Remarks Shake the Market and Reduce Policy Effectiveness
  • Research grant from ALookSo (2022). The Outlook of the U.S. Dollar and Stagflation.
  • Research grant from Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (2021). An Analysis of Economic Impacts of the U.S. Fiscal and Monetary Policies on the COVID-19 Recession.

Education

  • Ph.D., Louisiana State University (LSU)
  • M.S., Cornell University
  • B.A., Seoul National University

Research Interests

My research focuses on capital market reactions to macroeconomic shocks, monetary policy surprises, international financial markets, the financial crisis, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and corporate risk management.

Publications

  • Kim, S. F. (2025). The Federal Reserve’s Tightening, Risk Management, and Default Likelihood: Evidence from Korean Banking Industry. Financial Stability Studies. (Forthcoming)
  • Kim, S. F. (2025). Tariff and Economics: Changing the Flow of Wealth through Tariff Stories. Maeil Business Newspaper Publishing. (book).
  • Kim, S. F. (2024). Trade, Energy, and Tax Policy Outlook by Presidential Candidate. Chief Executive, Vol. 263, 5-9.
  • Kim, S. F. (2023). Currency Carry Trades, Risk Management, and Firm Value: Evidence from Korean Banking Industry. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money 88, 1-18.
  • Kim, S. F. (2023). The Fed Signal: How Do the Fed's Flutters Become a Typhoon in Seoul? Knowledge Nomad.
  • Kim, S. F., et al. (2022). Great Economic Outlook: 2023 Economic Issues and Trend. 21st Century Books.
  • Kim, S. F. (2021). An Analysis of Economic Impacts of the U.S. Fiscal and Monetary Policies on the COVID-19 Recession and Capital Market. Financial Risk Review, 18, 77-104.
  • Kim, S. F., and Chance, D. M. (2019). An Empirical Analysis of Corporate Currency Risk Management Policies and Practices. Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, 47, 109-128.

Additional Professional Activity

  • Presented a paper “The Federal Reserve’s Tightening, Risk Management, Default Likelihood and Firm Value: Evidence from Korean Banking Industry” at the World Finance Conference (WFC), University of Malta, Valletta, Malta (July 2025); European Financial Management Association (EFMA) Annual Conference, The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece (June 2025); Southwestern Finance Association (SWFA) Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas, USA (February 2025); and Annual LaBS International Banking Workshop, HSE University, Moscow, Russia (December 2024)
  • Contributing economic columns for the JoongAng (a newspaper of record in South Korea), the Woman Economy newspaper, the Money Today newspaper, and The Columnist journal.
  • Interviewed by South Korea's number one newspaper regarding the US tariffs,
    real estate market, as well as money supply and inflation.
  • Interviewed by SBS primetime news (top 3 TV broadcasting firm in South Korea) regarding the U.S. labor shortage, the Federal Reserve monetary policy, and the stock market collapse.

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