Dr. Nona S. Ricafort is a highly accomplished Filipina educator and women’s leader. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Filipino TOFIL Laureates, often referred to as the Nobel Prize of the Philippines, and has been honored with the 2017 Global Peace Award on Leadership and Family. Her contributions extend across various spheres, including as former deputy minister of Philippine Higher Education,  a member of the Philippine Commission on Women, and UNESCO Commissioner. Her commitment to public service is evident through her tenure as the former governor of Philippine Red Cross and National Book Development Board. She currently serves as the president of Global Peace Women Philippines and is affiliated with the YWCA Founder’s Federation of the Philippines and the International Council of Women. Dr. Ricafort holds two doctorate degrees in philosophy, specializing in public administration and organizational development.

Elyxzur C. Ramos Ph.D. CESE, or “Prof. X”, is the president of the University of Makati, a leading local university in the Philippines. Dr. Ramos is also a member of the Philippines Second Congressional Commission on Education, Standing Committee for Higher Education and Teacher Training and Development. He holds the rank of Commander under the Philippine Navy (Reserve).  He is also a trained arbitrator of the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Incorporated, a director of the Philippine Red Cross and the Young Men’s Christian Association, and a fellow of the Society of Fellows in Supply Management. Dr. Ramos finished his BSBA in economics and MBA degree from Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Manila and his Ph.D. in Management from the International Academy of Management and Economics with distinction. He also holds a postdoctoral certificate in Strategic Management from the Philippine Christian University.

Ms. Catherine Lagadia is director of Community Extension at the National University-Manila and executive director of NU-Dasmarinas, a consistent supporter of the peace education efforts of Global Peace Foundation since 2011.  She has spearheaded more than 300 activities and programs. She is actively involved in Gender And Development and recently spoke on the topic “Women in Peace and Security: Creating Safe Spaces for Women and Children,” supporting Sustainable Development Goal No. 5. Ms. Lagadia holds a BA in management and psychology at the University of St. La Salle and an MA in school counseling from De La Salle University. She is completing her PhD in educational policy and administration at the Universidad de Manila, Philippines.  

Mr. Jeremy Graham is the director of strategic development at the Global Peace Foundation, where he oversees the strategic alignment and development of the organization’s long-term programs, infrastructure, and operations. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mr. Graham served as a U.S. Army infantry officer. As a service member he achieved several notable accomplishments, including graduating from Ranger School, commanding an infantry company, and serving as a Squadron Field Grade Officer. He has served throughout the Pacific Rim and South Asia, with deployments to Afghanistan. He is currently leading the implementation of the Global Peace Leadership Corps initiative, designed to create a premier youth leadership experience.

Dr. Ma. Felma Carlos-Tria is university president and chief academic and executive officer at Universidad de Manila (UDM). She is an accomplished academician with over 22 years of experience in the field of education. She sits at the Board of the Government, Academe, Industry Network and is also elected as the vice president of the United Nations Association of the Philippines–National Capital Region Chapter. Dr. Tria is an alumna of the National University of Singapore and a scholar of the Commission on Higher Education at the Asian Institute of Management. She holds a Doctorate degree in Educational Administration and a Master of Arts in Communication Management from University of the City of Manila. Dr. Tria is a strong advocate for local and international linkages, having forged partnerships between UDM and various government agencies and universities in Asia.

Dr. Carmelo John E. Vidal is dean of the Graduate School, director of the Center for Integrated Extension Services, and NSTP Unit Head  at the University of Luzon (UL) in Dagupan City, the Philippines. He is also the President of Philippines Society of National Service Training Program (NSTP) Implementers and Educators. Dr. Vidal is a published author, a respected speaker on NSTP-related topics, and a graduate of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Policy-National University, Singapore. Recognized as a peace ambassador and awarded as the Best Negotiator, he has dedicated his life to community service and development, particularly in volunteerism and NSTP implementation at local, national, and international levels.

Prof. Musdah Mulia is an Indonesian Islamic scholar who supports progressive Islamic ideas, gender equality, and human rights. She has devoted her life to advocating for reasonable interpretations of Islam, especially regarding social justice and women’s rights. Musdah has broken down barriers for women in Islamic studies as the first female professor of Islamic political theory at the State Islamic University in Jakarta. She has been instrumental in promoting human rights, democracy, and pluralism in Indonesia and worldwide. Musdah actively advocates for a more compassionate and inclusive interpretation of Islam through her work with groups such as the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace. She is now a prominent figure in the drive to change Islamic law to promote justice and equality, and her actions have served as an inspiration to many people in Indonesia.

Dr. Kyung-young Chung is adjunct professor at Hanyang University. He received PhD in International Politics from the University of Maryland. Dr. Chung published Peace Creation: ROK-U.S. Alliance and Peace-Making (2020).

Dr. Sung-ki Park is professor emeritus in the Department of Cultural Welfare Convergence at Yuwon University and serves as the president of the Action for Korea United Professors Association and a special policy advisor for Chungcheongnam-do province in Korea. His papers and books include research on North Korea’s land reform plan to reduce unification costs and “Korean Dream & Unified Korea Vision and International Cooperation.” He is currently co-authoring a book examining strategies for promoting inter-Korean integration toward a unified Korea.

Ms. Muchun  Liao is a Ph.D candidate in Politics Research at King’s College London and a visiting research fellow at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies of Kyungnam University. Her doctoral research focuses on foreign policy analysis, particularly examining the national role conceptions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea regarding its policy towards the Republic of Korea. At the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, her research also explores the possibility of China’s tolerance towards the DPRK’s nuclear weapons development and the implications for future economic aid.

Dr. Cristina Preutu is a university professor and researcher in the history of communism, focusing on Romanian communism as well as  cultural diplomacy and political communication in the Cold War. Dr. Preutu had several research fellowships in international institutions such as University of Konstanz and School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences in Paris. She is author of several volumes examining propaganda, culture, and foreign policy of socialist Romania. In recent years, Dr. Preutu focused her research on the diplomatic relations between Romania and the Korean peninsula and is founding member of the Romanian-Korean Forum, advocating for a strong and genuine development of diplomatic, cultural, and educational relations between Romania and Republic of Korea.

Dr. Robert Rudolf is a professor at the College of International Studies, Korea University. He currently also serves as deputy vice president of International Affairs at Korea University. Robert grew up in East Germany and experienced German reunification first-hand. He went on to study international economics at the University of Tuebingen in West Germany and  holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Goettingen. Robert was formerly a visiting fellow at research institutes in Santiago de Chile, Singapore, Mexico City, and Berlin. He was awarded research grants from the Korea Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation. Robert has served as a consultant to the World Bank and as a member of the scientific advisory committee for the design of Korea’s National Child Well-being Indicator System.

Dr. Mason Richey is professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, president of the Korea International Studies Association, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of East Asian Affairs. Dr. Richey has also held positions as a POSCO visiting research fellow at the East-West Center and DAAD scholar at the University of Potsdam. His research focuses on U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, European foreign and security policy, and regional security in East Asia. Recent scholarly articles have appeared in Asian Survey, Political Science, Pacific Review, Asian Security, Global Governance, and Foreign Policy Analysis. Dr. Richey is also co-editor of The Future of the Korean Peninsula: 2032 and Beyond (Routledge, 2021), and co-author of the U.S.-Korea chapter for the tri-annual journal Comparative Connections.

Dr. Andrei Lankov teaches at Kookmin University and also serves as the director of Korearisk.com group. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at Leningrad State University (Ph.D. in 1989). In 1996-2004, he taught Korean history at the Australian National University. He is the author of English language publications on North Korea including From Stalin to Kim Il Sung: The Formation of North Korea, 1945-1960 (2003); Crisis in North Korea: The Failure of De-Stalinization, 1956 (2004); North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea (2007); and The Real North Korea (2013). He has contributed to the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, and Newsweek, and published a number of academic articles. In 2017, Foreign Policy magazine included him in the Global Thinkers list.

Mr. Frank Smith has produced news reportage for international media including ABC Australia, Agence France Press, Al Jazeera, Channel News Asia, CNN, Deutsche Welle, Press TV, Radio Television Hong Kong, and TRT World. Based in Seoul, he has appeared on camera as a regional correspondent as well as provided live unscripted news analysis on television and radio to foreign and domestic news media. As an ENG camera operator, Frank has worked with other foreign correspondents, arranging elements of news packages, shooting video of interviews and events, and editing video for time-bound news reports. Mr. Smith is also an adjunct lecturer at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies, where he conducts various courses on politics and media.

Dr. Lakhvinder Singh is the director of the Department of Asian Security Studies at the Asia Institute in Seoul. He holds dual doctoral degrees, in Korean studies from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul and in international politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Dr. Singh was a senior fellow at Harvard University, focusing on trade policy. Dr. Singh has played a pivotal role in shaping the strategic partnership between Korea and India, often referred to as the “Father of the India-Korea Strategic Partnership.” His contributions have been recognized with honorary citizenship by the Republic of Korea, highlighting his significant impact over the past 25 years in strengthening bilateral defense ties. With a career spanning several decades, Dr. Singh continues to play a crucial role in promoting and deepening Korea-India relations, particularly in the areas of security and strategic cooperation.

Ms. Risa Perea has been engaged in various youth initiatives in the environmental field since 2018. She served as a member and team leader of the Leadership Task Force, conducting overseas projects in clean water and management and solar energy. She holds a master’s degree in Food and Resource Economics from Korea University and is  a recipient of the Global Korea Scholarship. She presented her research on the cost and benefits of deforestation at the Korea Environmental Economics Association in 2023 and 2024 and is currently publishing research on carbon emissions reduction in South America.

Mr. Shuai Liang was the director of the China portfolio for Global Young Leaders Academy, as well as an executive committee member with the China Society, both based in Washington DC. During his time in the United States, Mr. Liang earned a MS of Technology Engineering Management. He also founded the Chinese Student Union.  

Rev. Mark Farr manages the Global Peace Leadership Corps, engaging young people in peacebuilding around the world, at the Global Peace Foundation. Previously, Mark served as president of the Sustained Dialogue Institute on Capitol Hill. He was co-host of the Dartmouth Conference and engaged in dialogue with the Russian Federation. Mark is also vice president of the John Lewis Institute, created to promote the values of the civil rights leader. Prior to that, Mark was CEO of the Faith and Politics Institute, serving members of Congress, and oversaw both Senate and House chiefs of staff meetings. Mark is an Episcopal priest and a qualified systemic psychotherapist with a former practice in London.

Mr. Chang-keun Sung is a former professor of biochemistry at Chungnam National University. He founded Daedeok Bio in 2000 to research pine re-nematodes to prevent pine trees from dying from pest infestation. In 2006, his company was selected as a participant in the Korea Forest Service’s Pine Re-Nematode Research Project and was recognized as a technologically innovative company by the Korea Small and Medium Business Administration.  Mr. Sung has been using his company’s technology to control pine wooly adelgid in Korea and around the world. In 2020, he conducted large-scale control work in Portugal.

Dr. Jin Shin is president of the Institute for Peace Affairs, professor emeritus in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy, and  director of the National Strategy Institute at Chungnam National University in the Republic of Korea. He has served as a visiting scholar at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Shin is the recipient of numerous academic awards including the Fulbright Scholarship and Research Award. A researcher and an educator for over 20 years, he focuses on North Korea international relations issues and the peaceful unification of the two Koreas. In preparation for Korean reunification, the Ministry of Unification has asked the Institute for Peace Affairs to assist in the development of reunification educational programs for all educators in Korea.

Ms. Hong (Veronica) Liu specializes in the fields of Sino-U.S. Relations, Sino-Japan Relations, international relations, comparative politics, and history. She holds a Master’s degree in international studies from Beijing University and Bachelor degree in history at Hunan Normal University. Hong Liu has actively engaged in various exchange visits and programs, including Scholarship at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and visiting scholar at the Department of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University. She previously served as research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization and the Research Institute of Western Returned Scholars Association, and held positions at the News Center of CCTV, Beijing University and the Department of Student Affairs at Hunan Normal University.

Dr. Serdaram Damdin founded the My Club Online Community in 2006 to provide ecological education to the youth of Mongolia and cultivate the spirit of voluntary work. For 18 years, Dr. Serdaram planted and cared for trees and made tree planting a national voluntary work community. Dr. Serdaram travels to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea regularly and has contributed to the typically friendly relations between Mongolia and North Korea, leading and organizing a community of young researchers who study Northeast Asia and the Korean peninsula issues.

Dr. Oyunsanaa Byambasuren is director general at the National Forest Agency of the government of Mongolia. He previously served as the director general of the Department of Forest Policy and Coordination in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Mongolia. Dr. Oyunsanaa served as a director of the Fire Management Resource Center – Central Asia Region and head of the Department of Environment and Forest Engineering at the National University of Mongolia. He worked as Deputy Director at the Global Fire Monitoring Center, Fire Ecology Research Group of Max Planck Institute and Freiburg University. Dr. Oyunsanaa holds a Phd from the University of Goettingen in Germany. His research focused on forest ecological issues and he has implemented and co-implemented international projects and published a number of scientific articles in international journals.

Hon. Myoung-Su Lee is a former four-term member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, representing Asan city’s Gap District since 2008. He is currently a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly. Prior to this, Hon. Lee held the positions of chairman of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, president of the Korea-Azerbaijan Friendship Association of the National Assembly, and chairman of the Human Resource Recruitment Committee of the Liberty Korea Party. He holds a BS, MS, and Ph.D. in Public Administration from Sungkyunkwan University.

Mr. David Caprara serves as strategic advisor and former international vice president with the Global Peace Foundation, developing strategic partnerships with national and regional entities, think tank initiatives and Global Peace Leadership Conferences. He has served over the past decade as a non-resident fellow with the Brookings Institution. Caprara served as senior executive in two U.S. administrations, as deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and director of VISTA Volunteers at the Corporation for National and Community Service. He advanced multi-stakeholder support for the launch of the Global Peace and Development Service Alliance in Africa and Asia further advancing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr. Pil-hyun Koo is a distinguished expert in technology management and international finance, serving as a professor at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. He has a significant background in both academia and industry, making substantial contributions to the field of international finance. Dr. Koo previously worked as the International Finance and Investor Relations Director at Hyundai Motor Group in headquarters of South Korea, where he played a pivotal role in managing financial strategies and investor communications for one of the world’s leading automotive companies. Before his tenure at Hyundai, he gained extensive experience as a Senior Analyst at Standard & Poor’s in London, UK, and at PwC in Detroit, Michigan.

Dr. Liudmila Zakharova is the academic secretary of the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences and is the leading researcher at the Center for Korean Studies of the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia. Dr. Zakharova teaches economics of Korea and Mongolia at MGIMO University (Moscow State Institute of International Relations). She received her Ph.D. in Economics from the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2011. Her main research areas are the North Korean economy, Russia’s economic ties with the Republic of Korea and the DPRK, and economic cooperation in Northeast Asia.

Dr. Ann Tang is deputy secretary-general and head of International Programs and Partnerships at the Center for China and Globalization (CCG). During her tenure, CCG has achieved global recognition as China’s leading nongovernmental think tank, expanded its research and engagement networks, increased its convening power at home and abroad, and strengthened international research partnerships. Ann Tang’s career has bridged China and the United States at the intersection of government, academia, and industry. In her early career days, she worked as an international trade consultant in Shanghai. Prior to joining the CCG in 2017, she worked as a journalist covering political and economic affairs of Southern Nevada and advised heads of the regional economic development agencies on Chinese outbound investment. She holds a BA from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a PhD from University of California, Irvine. Her academic interests concentrate on international political economy, Chinese domestic politics, and US-China relations.

Mr. Soon-jick Hong is a visiting research fellow at Seoul National University Asia Center. Mr. Hong was a senior research fellow at the Reunification Economy Center of the Hyundai Research Institute, a visiting research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, and vice chairman of the Korean Association of North Korean Studies. Currently, he is a visiting professor in the Department of Northeast Asian Studies at Chung-Ang University and a policy advisor to the Unification Future Planning Committee of the Ministry of Unification. During his tenure at the Hyundai Research Institute, he carried out extensive research projects on Hyundai Group’s investment plan for the Mt. Geumgang tourism project and the Kaesong Industrial Complex project and inter-Korean cooperation plan. Mr. Hong ‘s primary research interests include North Korean economy, inter-Korean economic cooperation, and North-South economic integration. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Chung-Ang University.

Dr. Kwang-kyu Nam is professor and director of the Center for North Korea Studies at the Asiatic Research Institute at Korea University. He is the president of Maebong Institute for One Korea. He received his Ph.D., from the Department of Political Science at Korea University. His areas of research cover the fields of North Korea Studies, Inter-Korean Politics, and foreign policy of South Korea. He frequently appears in major mass media and newspapers in Korea as an expert on North Korean affairs. He also served for four years as moderator in a Current Issue program on North Korea  at the Korean Broadcasting Station in South Korea. He is the author of nine books and many articles.

Mr. John Dickson is a senior advisor on economy and government relations at the Global Peace Foundation and president of World Trade Partnership. He has founded World Trade Centers in Okinawa and Afghanistan and advised on others. Mr. Dickson was the founding chairman of the World Trade Centers Association’s Committee on Peace and Stability through Trade, organizing initiatives highlighting the contribution of the private sector to peace and stability. He serves on the steering committee of the UN’s Alliance of NGOs for South South Cooperation and serves on the boards of several significant civil society organizations including the Latin American Presidential Mission. Mr. Dickson is a co-founder and chairman of the Global Young Leaders Academy.

Ms. Mi-yeon Kim is a program officer at the National Democratic Institute’s Seoul office. A Fulbright Scholarship grantee, Mi-yeon graduated from New York University with an M.A. in International Relations. While studying for her Master’s program at NYU, she pursued an internship at the Korea Society. Mi-yeon previously served as a media and public affairs officer at the British Embassy in Seoul, responsible for the media relations of the political section. Her career goal is to contribute to enhancing South Korea’s international profile as well as to improving the inter-Korean situation. She obtained a B.A. in International Trade from Konkuk University.

Mr. Kenji Sawai is Northeast Asia Freedom and Human Rights program specialist in the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Global Peace Foundation. He is also an advisor to Action for Korea United – Japan. After joining GPF in 2014, Mr. Sawai took on a key role in coordinating the One Dream One Korea K-Pop Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Korean Liberation Day at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Since moving to the U.S. from Japan in 2003, Mr. Sawai has worked with several NGOs and leadership initiatives including the International Young Leaders Assembly. He has worked for North Korean human rights advocacy on the peninsula, in Japan, and with the Korean diaspora and broader communities in the U.S. He is a North Korea Freedom Coalition member, and in recognition of his commitment and efforts, he received awards from the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council Washington Chapter in 2017 and 2023.

Ms. Eiko Kawasaki is the chairwoman of Action for Korea United-Japan and founder of KOREA OF ALL. She was repatriated to North Korea in 1960 at the age of 17 and lived in North Korea for 43 years. She defected from North Korea in 2003. In 2019, she held the 60th anniversary of the repatriation of 93,000 Korean Japanese. Last year, she initiated the renewal project of “Botonamu (willow trees) Street” in Niigata-city in Japan to advocate for  human rights in North Korea. In 2018, she filed a lawsuit at Tokyo District Court against the North Korean government demanding compensation of 500 million yen for the victims . She published The Story of People Returning to North Korea from Japan in Korea in 2021, and forthcoming in the U.S..

Mr. Robert M. Collins is a senior advisor at HRNK in South Korea, where he interviews North Korean escapees to gather information on the North Korean population and the human rights conditions. in that country. He served 31 years in various assignments with the U.S. military in Korea, including several liaison positions with the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Mr. Collins’s final assignment was as chief of strategy, ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, serving the four-star American commander as a political analyst for planning on Korean peninsula and Northeast Asian security issues. He received the Sam-il Medal (Republic of Korea Order of National Security Medal, Fourth Class) from President Lee Myungbak and the U.S. Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service by the Secretary of the Army. Mr. Collins earned an M.A. in International Politics from Dankook University. 

Mr. Cheol-hwan Kang is the president of North Korea Strategy Center and co-president of Action for Korea United. He is among the first defectors who informed the international society about the cruel reality of concentration camps in North Korea. As a child, he was imprisoned in the Yodok camp for 10 years. He published The Aquariums of Pyongyang and worked as a writer specialized in North Korean affairs for Chosun Ilbo for 10 years. He has sent thousands of USBs, DVDs and radios into North Korea.

Mr. Young-hwan Kim is a North Korean human rights activist. He is currently a research fellow at the Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights and an editorialist for Daily NK. Mr. Kim is the author of Steel Letters and led the National Liberation student movement as the general manager of the National Salvation Student League while he was a student at Seoul National University in the 1980s. However, after his ideological conversion in the late 1990s, he became interested in the North Korean human rights movement. While helping escapees in the border area between China and North Korea, he was arrested by the Chinese police and imprisoned. In 2012, he was awarded the Dongbaek Medal of the National Order of Civil Merit by the government in recognition of his contributions as a North Korean human rights activist. He has also written various books on human rights and change in North Korea, including North Korea’s Rapid Changes and Unification Strategy (2015).

Dr. Dong-su Kim is a senior adviser to the National Institute for Security and Strategy and has served in numerous research capacities since 1998.  Dr. Kim hails from Hamgyong Province, North Korea. He is a former diplomat with the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was posted in Italy, Norway, and Switzerland. He served as a consultant to the Yoon Suk Yeol Transition Committee in 2022 and was a visiting scholar in Waseda University in Japan and Johns Hopkins University.  He is the author of numerous research reports and two books on North Korean foreign policy, trade, nuclear weapons, the North Korean People’s Army and the Workers Party of Korea.  He received his Ph.D and MA from Kyong-nam University and his BA from Pyongyang Foreign Language Institute as well as Dar-es-Salam National University in the Republic of Tanzania.

Mr. Byung-heon Kwak is Northeast Asia Peace Building project manager and Chubu Office representative at the Global Peace Foundation-Japan. He was vice-president of Mindan (Korean Residents Union in Japan)-Ishikawa Regional Headquarters from 2019 to March 2024. He has been a board member of Yun Bong-gil (a Korean Independence Activist) Burial Ground Preservation Society and vice-president of Woljinhoe-Japan. Mr. Kwak has worked for Korean Japanese society since 2006. He came to Japan in 1998 and was involved in home education in several cities, including Saitama and Hiroshima. He worked as a leadership instructor for students at an international NPO in Korea. Mr. Byung-hoon Kwak graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Chungbuk National University.

Ms. Polina Tsai is currently enrolled in the Media Communication program at Hanyang University. With a longstanding interest in social media and public relations, she has been actively involved in video and poster  production, social media management, and content creation. In addition to her media pursuits, Polina is deeply committed to social development. She actively participates in the Youth Group of the Association of Koryo Saram, where she helps young Koryoin emigres adapt and thrive in South Korea. Her work involves organizing events that help Korean Russian diaspora individuals learn about Korean culture and history, preserving their ethnic identity without experiencing cultural confusion.

Mr. Hyun-seung Lee is a North Korean escapee and human rights advocate. With a background in international business and military operations in North Korea, he has become a sought-after consultant for the U.S. government and policy circles in Washington, D.C.. Hyun Seung has served as lead program strategist at the Global Peace Foundation and advisor at the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. Before defecting in 2014, Hyun Seung played significant roles in North Korea’s shipping and mining industries, facilitating trade with China, and served as a sergeant in the DPRK Army Special Forces. He was a member of the Korean Workers’ Party and chairman of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League in Dalian, China, until government purges forced his defection. A respected voice on North Korea issues, Hyun Seung regularly contributes to media outlets like Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and NK News. He holds a BA in International Trade and Economics from Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in China and a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University.

Mr. Jae-sung Ha has served as president of the Federation of Korean Associations in the UK, president of the League of Korean Voters in the UK, and as a member of the Kingston City Council. He currently runs a consulting firm and serves as a senior advisor to Action for Korea United UK. A South Korean national, he has been living in the UK for 20 years and developed a keen interest in the issue of Korean reunification after meeting North Koreans living in the UK while a university student in the early 1980s. 

Ms. Yu-sook Kim is president of Alliance for Korea United–Washington, secretary general of the K-Community Center, and board director in both the Washington Korean Women’s Society and the Washington Association for Korean Schools. Previously, she was executive secretary of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council-Washington (2022-2023) and president of Korean Informational Association-Washington Chapter (2019-2023). Ms. Kim graduated from the College of Japanese Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul  and is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Biden (2023), the Korean Unification Contribution Award (2022), PUAC Presidential Award (2021), and Maryland Governor and Virginia Governor Award (2021).

Dr. Jai-poong Ryu is a professor emeritus at Loyola University Maryland and Founder/President of the One Korea Foundation. BA from Law College Seoul National University; Ph.D. in sociology, from University of Minnesota. Main interest areas: macro-sociological interpretation of history, conflict resolution, and social institutions. Ryu served as advisor to two Baltimore mayors and the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2015 on the 70th commemoration of Korea’s liberation and division, Ryu led One Korea Foundation for 1 Dream1 Korea Campaign at Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol Hill with Global Peace Foundation.

Mr. In-gill Ra is the Regional Representative for the Global Peace Foundation Asia-Pacific, dedicated to advancing peace through the vision of “One Family under God.” His work emphasizes the importance of shared values and goals that connect nations through deep, profound ethos. Ingill advocates for Korean unification, seeing it as part of a broader mission to unite Asia-Pacific nations under common aspirations for national transformation. By strengthening partnerships and fostering interfaith dialogue, he works to empower youth and build sustainable networks. Ingill leads efforts in strategic planning, donor mapping, and impactful projects, aiming to support both Korean unification and nation-building across the region. His leadership inspires others to work together for a peaceful, unified future.

Mr. Komei Isozaki is Japan chair fellow at Hudson Institute. He is an expert in Japanese defense policy, space security, and biological and chemical weapons conventions. His research areas include space policy and defense strategy with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. From 2018 to 2022, Mr. Isozaki was senior director for business integration and partner coordination of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. From 2016 to 2018, he was director for the Biological and Chemical Weapon Conventions Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Mr. Isozaki was a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (2005-2006 and 2012-2014). He previously served in the Ministry of Defense of Japan for about 30 years. Mr. Isozaki received his MA in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

H.E. Ambassador Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan is the chairman of Mongolian NGO Blue Banner and Former Mongolia Ambassador to the UN. He is an international lawyer and diplomat. He served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, represented his country in the Soviet Union/Russian Federation, Austria, Italy, Croatia, the United Nations in New York, and at international organizations based in Vienna. He also served as the foreign policy and legal advisor to the first democratically elected president of Mongolia and as the executive secretary of the National Security Council of Mongolia when the State Great Hural (parliament) considered and adopted the country’s first concepts of national security, foreign policy, and military doctrine in 1994.

Dr. Danning Wang is a research fellow at Charhar Institute, a top think tank for China’s foreign affairs policy. She is also the founder and chairwoman of the Belt and Road Culture Exchange Foundation for Women, a non-government and non-profit organization based in Hong Kong specializing in promoting gender equality and women empowerment among the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiatives. 

Col. (Ret.) David Maxwell is a retired US Army Special Forces colonel and has spent more than 30 years in Asia, specializing in Northeast Asian Security Affairs and irregular, unconventional, and political warfare. He is the vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation where he focuses on a free and unified Korea. He is a member of the board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and is the editor of the Small Wars Journal.

Dr. Sung-yoon Lee is a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Previously, he taught Korean history and politics at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He is the author of The Sister: The Extraordinary Story of Kim Yo Jong, North Korea’s Most Powerful Woman (2023), which publisher Pan MacMillan has listed as among “50 best autobiographies and biographies of all time.” Dr. Lee has written on the politics of the Korean peninsula for numerous publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, CNN, The Hill, and many others. He has testified as an expert witness at the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearings on North Korea policy and has advised senior leaders, including the President of the United States.

Mr. Baek-san Kim is president of the Global Peace Institute, an academic research institute that studies proposals and strategies for world peace and unification of the Korean peninsula. The institute regularly participates in international forums and seminars with the Global Peace Foundation and supports a network of scholars and experts. Mr. Kim is also the co-representative of Korea’s largest civic activist group, Action for Korea United, and serves as editor of an NGO press, sponsoring the compilation of the 25-year history of the Korean civic movement. He is also serving as secretary general of the Preparatory Committee for the establishment of the Korean Dream History Foundation to establish the thought and vision of the Korean unification movement based on the history and founding spirit of Korea.

Dr. Su-seok Lee is the head professor at the Graduate School of Global Peace and Unification at Kookmin University in South Korea.  He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Korea University. Dr. Lee is a policy advisor to the Ministry of Unification and a policy advisor to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. He is a standing advisor of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council.

Mr. Yeqing (Victor) Li is a senior fellow on Northeast Asia at the Global Peace Foundation. He directs the Office of Strategic Initiatives and coordinates an International Advisory Council for regional and global peace and development. He is also the founding president of the China Society, former non-resident senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, former consultant at the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, and co-founder and president of the Global Young Leaders Academy. He earned his BA in Sociology from Peking University and an MBA from Georgetown University. 

Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), established in 2009 and currently active in 24 countries. Working across lines of identity—from culture, ethnicity, religion, and beyond—GPF works to foster the moral, innovative leadership necessary to resolve the most pressing issues in our world today. Dr. Moon’s disciplined focus on a common vision, universal principles and shared values guides GPF in building innovative models of peace and development, and a global network of multi-sector partners. Even while addressing local issues, numerous regional and international conventions, forums, and programs enable the organization to apply lessons and best practices for advancing a global community. Dr. Moon has a lifelong passion for empowering young leaders, particularly in emerging countries. He founded Service for Peace in 2002 to provide international service-learning opportunities for youth of diverse backgrounds who work together to address urgent social needs. Service For Peace is now established in 27 nations and has special consultative status with the United Nations. Dr. Moon is the author of Korean Dream: A Vision for a Unified Korea, which won the Book of the Year in 2014 by the Readers’ Newspaper in Korea. 

Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt is Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute and senior adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research. He is also a founding member of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and a member of the advisory council for the Korea Economic Institute. His many books on Korean affairs include The Population of North Korea and The North Korean Economy: Between Crisis and Catastrophe. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University. 

Dr. Suzanne Scholte is chair of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, president of the Defense Forum Foundation, and chair of Free North Korea Radio. She is one of the world’s leading activists for North Korea’s freedom and human rights and a policy expert for promoting their freedom and dignity. She has received numerous awards including the Seoul Peace Prize and the Sungnye Medal Order of Diplomatic Service. She has testified many times before the United States Congress and at the United Nations and hosted visits to the USA for hundreds of defectors to testify in Congress, at the UN, and many other venues. In response to the escalating attempts by the Kim regime to further isolate the people of North Korea, she launched Operation Truth with North Korean escapees based in South Korea to continuously reach people in North Korea by land, by sea and by air. 

Dr. Amarjargal Rinchinnyam served as prime minister of Mongolia, minister of external relations of Mongolia, member of Parliament, instructor at the Central Council of Trade Unions of Mongolia, professor at the Military Academy of Mongolia, director of the Economic College, and chairman of the Amarjargal Foundation (since 2000). He holds a Ph.D. in economic security studies. Dr. Amarjargal has authored several textbooks on economics and numerous articles and research papers addressing critical issues relevant to Mongolia’s economic development. 

Hon. Yung-ho Kim is minister of unification and chairman of the Unification Future Planning Committee of the Ministry of Unification under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. He served as a standing visiting researcher at the Sejong Institute, a standing member of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, and an advisory member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He later served as the secretary to the president for Unification in the Lee Myung-bak administration and ambassador for human rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was also a policy advisory member of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Park Geun-hye administration. Hon. Kim holds a doctorate in international politics from the University of Virginia.  

Hon. Ho-young Joo is currently the vice-speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. He entered politics as a member of the 17th National Assembly and is currently serving his 6th term. Honorable Joo has served as the floor leader of the ruling People Power Party.  He was the chairman of the National Assembly Steering Committee and also of the Intelligence Committee. Honorable Ho-young Joo also served in government as the Minister of Special Affairs.

Ms. Seo-hyun Lee, originating from Pyongyang, has evolved from studying at North Korea’s prestigious Kim Il Sung University to becoming a globally recognized human rights advocate. Her profound understanding of oppressive regimes and unwavering commitment to promoting global freedom and human rights have led her to significant roles on international platforms, including active participation in dialogues at the United Nations Security Council. Having recently graduated from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Seohyun now serves on the Global Advisory Council at the McCain Institute. In this capacity, she continues to leverage her insights and experiences to support the North Korean people and influence policy decisions globally, demonstrating her dedication to making a significant impact in the world.

Mr. James P. Flynn is international president of the Global Peace Foundation. As the executive officer of a large, global network of chapters, he provides leadership and management for Global Peace Foundation’s diverse portfolio of peacebuilding and international development work. His robust leadership is reflected in the planning and convening of Global Peace Leadership Conferences on four continents and in the preeminent Global Peace Convention, as well as in the organization’s branding, educational content, and operational management. Mr. Flynn has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than thirty years, and served as an educator, international conflict mediator, interfaith facilitator, and grassroots leader of family strengthening and youth violence prevention programs.

Mr. Jong-chun Park is secretary general of Action for Korea United, an alliance of over 1,000 Korean civic groups in Korea since 2012. He was formerly a member of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council and chairman of the Executive Committee of Youth Commission for the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation. In addition, he also serves as secretary general of  the ONE K Global Campaign Committee to garner global support for Korean unification through K-pop. He holds a master’s degree in NGO studies from Kyung-Hee University, Seoul.

Dr. Hao Su is a distinguished professor in the Department of Diplomacy, founding director of the Center for Strategic and Peace Studies at the China Foreign Affairs University, and deputy dean of the Institute of Global Governance and Development. He was chairman of the Diplomacy Department, director of the China’s Foreign Relations Section, general secretary of the East Asian Studies Center, and director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies within this university. He also serves as president of Beijing Geopolitical Strategy and Development Association, a member of the Chinese Committee for Council of Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and Pacific Economic Cooperation Council; and board member of China Association of Arms Control and Disarmament, Pacific Society of China, China Association of Asian-African Development Exchange, and the China Association of China-ASEAN.

Ambassador Robert Joseph is senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy. In the George W. Bush administration, he was under secretary of state for Arms Control and International Security and later U.S. special envoy for Nuclear Nonproliferation. Prior to his positions at the State Department, Ambassador Joseph served in the National Security Council as special assistant to the president for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense. Prior to 2001, Dr. Joseph was professor of National Security Studies and founder of the Center for Counterproliferation Research at the National Defense University. He served as U.S. commissioner to the Standing Consultative Commission and as head of the U.S. delegation to the U.S.-Russian Commission on Nuclear Testing. Dr. Joseph has a Ph.D. from Columbia University and has taught at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tulane University, and at Carleton College.