Dr. Yang served as a professor of soil environmental chemistry at the Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Korea, from September 1990 to February 2023. He currently holds the title of Professor Emeritus. Dr. Yang earned his Ph.D. from Montana State University, USA, in 1987 and subsequently gained postdoctoral experiences in the USA and Canada until August 1990.
During his distinguished career, Dr. Yang held several leadership roles, including serving as President of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) from 2010 to 2014. Additionally, he was the dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station from 2010 to 2012. In the last decade, Dr. Yang led the Ecosystem Services of Surface Soil (EcoSSSoil) research group as its director. This multidisciplinary initiative focused on assessing the quality, value, health, and ecosystem services of Korean surface soils.