The Leaderboard: Hwang Joon-kook

The Leaderboard profiles the people behind the policies of the Asia-Pacific.Who is he?

Hwang Joon-kook is the new Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs for the Republic of Korea (ROK), serving as South Korea’s top delegate for the Six-Party Talks. Prior to this position, Ambassador Hwang served as the ROK Ambassador for Defense Burden-sharing, negotiating the terms for the 9th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) between the United States and ROK. Previously he served as deputy chief of mission and minister for political affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Washington, D.C. from February 2010 to April 2013.

Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook (standing, first from left) attending the Special Measures Agreement signing on February 2, 2014. UNC-CFC-USFK's flickr photostream, used under a creative commons license.

Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook (standing front row, first from left) attending the Special Measures Agreement signing on February 2, 2014. UNC-CFC-USFK’s flickr photostream, used under a creative commons license.

Why has he been in the news?

Ambassador Hwang’s appointment as the ROK’s new top nuclear envoy was announced by the Blue House on April 3, 2014. He is currently in Washington, D.C. for the April 7 U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral meeting with the nuclear envoys from each country attending. This will mark the first trilateral meeting since the envoys last met in Washington on November 6, 2013.

What can we expect from him?

Ambassador Hwang brings a wealth of diplomatic experience and negotiation capability to the table. We can expect him to balance all the parties’ sensitive interests while also striking a compromise, seeking meaningful cooperation in regards to North Korea’s nuclear program.

The trilateral meeting comes on the heels of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the recent March 25 trilateral summit between President Barack Obama, President Park Geun-hye, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at The Hague for the nuclear security summit.

To learn more keep an eye out for the CSIS Korea Chair’s Impact Players.

 

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