Hyoungchul Kim

Hi! I am a Ph.D. student at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

You can call me Hyoungchul (H-Young-Cheol, rhymes with “Null”) or Kent, my English name.

Research Interests Energy and Environment
Industrial Organization
International Trade

CV · Google Scholar
GitHub · LinkedIn
hchulkim [at] wharton.upenn.edu

Working Papers

[1] The China Shock and Internal Migration: Evidence from Bilateral Migration Flows (with Jaerim Choi & Seung Hoon Lee)
Submitted, June 2026
Replication ·

Abstract

Using Korean administrative data spanning nearly two decades and covering the universe of bilateral migration flows across local labor markets, we examine how the China trade shock shapes internal migration. While prior studies rely on net population changes to measure labor adjustment, we exploit bilateral migration flows that separately capture in- and out-migration. We find that trade exposure primarily increases out-migration from adversely affected regions, with limited effects on in-migration, revealing asymmetric spatial adjustment. Decomposing the shock, export expansion reduces out-migration, whereas import competition increases it. Migration responses are strongest among prime working-age individuals and substantially weaker among younger and older cohorts. Single-person households are more responsive than multi-person households. Overall, bilateral data reveal substantial migration responses that conventional net population measures fail to detect, offering new insight into the “missing migration puzzle.”

Publications

[2] Does Political Conflict Hurt Immigration? Evidence from the South Korea–China THAAD Dispute (with Jongkwan Lee)
Southern Economic Journal, 2024

[1] The Well-Being of Cities: Estimating Migration Attractiveness from Internal Migration across Korean Cities (with Seung Hoon Lee & Ji Sub Park)
Global Economic Review, 2024

Work in Progress

[1] Investment and Deforestation under Uncertain Market Access: Evidence from the Mexican Avocado Boom (with Prakash Mishra, Sebastian Sardon & James E. Sayre)

Contact

Email. hchulkim [at] wharton.upenn.edu

Department of Business Economics and Public Policy, The Wharton School · Philadelphia, PA

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

For inquiries about software, email me or use the issue tracker on GitHub.