Kim Hyun-jong

Kim Hyun-jong
김현종
Special Advisor to the President on Foreign Affairs, Diplomacy and National Security
In office
20 January 2021 – Kim_Hyun-chong.jpg
PresidentMoon Jae-in
Preceded byChung Eui-yong
2nd Deputy Director of National Security Office
In office
28 February 2019 – 20 January 2021
PresidentMoon Jae-in
Succeeded byKim Hyung-jin
Minister for Trade
In office
31 July 2017 – 27 February 2019
PresidentMoon Jae-in
Prime MinisterLee Nak-yeon
Succeeded byYoo Myung-hee
In office
28 July 2004 – 8 August 2007
PresidentRoh Moo-hyun
Prime MinisterLee Hae-chan
Han Myung-sook
Preceded byHwang Doo-yeon
Succeeded byKim Jong-hoon
Personal details
Born (1959-09-27) 27 September 1959 (age 65)
Alma materColumbia University (BA, MA, JD)

Kim Hyun-jong (Korean: 김현종, Hanja: 金鉉宗, born 27 September 1959 in Seoul) is a former minister for trade under Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in.[1]

From May 2003, the very beginning of the Roh administration, as the deputy minister for trade and later the minister for trade, he was one of the most central figures in Roh administration's trade policy for more than 4 years. In particular, he initiated numerous free trade agreement(FTA) plans or talks with Canada, India (CEPA), Mexico, MERCOSUR, GCC, Singapore, EFTA, ASEAN, and United States. The FTAs with Singapore, EFTA, ASEAN, and USA had been signed before he moved to UN. These 4 blocks and Chile (the first nation with which South Korean signed FTA) compose 25.78% of all South Korean trade (according to data in 2006).

Under President Moon, Kim served as his first Trade Minister. He led the re-negotiation of the KORUS FTA. In 2019 he was reshuffled to Office of National Security as its Deputy Director responsible for coordinating foreign and inter-korean policies.[2][3][4] In 2021 he was again reshuffled to President Moon's Special Advisor on foreign policy.[5]

He also took various roles representing South Korean government at the WTO, UN and APEC.

Moreover, he previously worked for Milbank LLP, Skadden, Yoon & Yang LLC (then-Kim Shin & Yu) and Samsung Electronics.

He taught international trade at South Korean universities - Hongik University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

He holds three degrees from Columbia University: B.A. (1981) and M.A. (1982) in Political Science and a J.D. (1985) from Columbia Law School in New York.[6][7] He also graduated from Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts in 1977.[7]

  1. ^ "S. Korea appoints new trade minister, deputy directors of security office".
  2. ^ "What's next for Kim Hyun-chong?". The Korea Times. 2020-07-31. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  3. ^ Kong, Kanga (2020-01-29). "Meet the fiery negotiator behind South Korea's biggest disputes with Japan". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  4. ^ "Kim Hyun-chong: Elite Trade Negotiator is Now a NatSec Architect". The Blue Roof. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  5. ^ "'또' 살아남은 김현종, 대통령 외교안보특보로 자리 이동". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  6. ^ "Impact Player: Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong".
  7. ^ a b "Hyun Chong KIM" (PDF). OECD.