Dr. Tong Kim

Dr. Tong Kim

Visiting Research Professor

Korea University's Ilmin Institute of International Relations

Mr. Tong Kim is a former Senior Korean Language Interpreter at the US State Department with 27 years of service, interpreted for four American Presidents – Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Tong Kim participated in almost all U.S.-DPRK meetings that took place between 1991 and his retirement in 2005, including the 2000 meeting between Secretary of State Madeline Albright and Chairman Kim Jong Il of North Korea’s National Defense Commission. He visited North Korea 19 times for negotiations. He taught diplomacy at Korea University in Seoul 2006 and 2014 as a visiting research professor and diplomatic negotiation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced Studies (SAIS) in Washington DC 2010 -2012 as an adjunct professor. Tong Kim is a visiting scholar at Korea University and concurrently a visiting professor at the University of North Korean Studies since 2005. He is a Washington correspondent for The Korea Times and has been writing a biweekly column for the paper since January 2006. He also is a fellow with The Institute of Korean-American Studies.