[Profile] Kim Hong-gyun, First Vice Foreign Minister... Veteran Diplomat Well-Versed in US and North Korea Affairs

Kim Hong-gyun, the new First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Hong-gyun, appointed as the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, is a veteran diplomat known for his deep understanding of North Korea and U.S. affairs.

Born in 1961, Vice Minister Kim graduated with a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Seoul National University, earned a master's degree from the University of Virginia, and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984 after passing the 18th Foreign Service Examination.

He subsequently served as Director of the North American Affairs Division 2, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Security Cooperation Officer for Korea-U.S. relations. From late 2009 to early 2012, he was the Head of the Peace Diplomacy Planning Group under the Korea Peace Negotiation Headquarters, handling issues related to North Korea's Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Island provocations and the death of Kim Jong-il, Chairman of the National Defense Commission.

He worked as a specialist for the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Unification division of the Presidential Transition Committee during the Park Geun-hye administration, and from 2013 to 2015, served as International Cooperation Secretary and Policy Coordination Secretary under the National Security Office of the Blue House. He retired after serving as the Chief Representative for North Korea Nuclear Issues at the Korea Peace Negotiation Headquarters.

After President Yoon Suk-yeol's election, he served as a specialist for the Foreign Affairs and Security division of the Transition Committee and was appointed Ambassador to Germany in October last year. Vice Minister Kim is expected to return to Korea soon to assume his new position.

▲ Busan (62) ▲ Seoul National University, Department of English Literature ▲ 18th Foreign Service Examination ▲ Director of North American Affairs Division 2 ▲ Counselor at the Embassy in Thailand ▲ Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs ▲ Korea-U.S. Security Cooperation Officer ▲ Counselor at the Embassy in Belgium ▲ Head of Peace Diplomacy Planning Group ▲ Dispatched to the Presidential Transition Committee ▲ International Cooperation Secretary at the Blue House National Security Office ▲ Policy Coordination Secretary at the Blue House National Security Office and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC) ▲ Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs ▲ Chief Representative of the Korea Peace Negotiation Headquarters ▲ Member of the Global Vision Committee directly under the People Power Party Central Election Committee ▲ Specialist for the Foreign Affairs and Security division of the Transition Committee ▲ Ambassador to Germany