Secretary Kerry, in consultation with the White House, has named Ambassador Sung Kim as U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy. In this capacity, Ambassador Kim will coordinate and oversee policy related to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including the effort to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and, in collaboration with Ambassador Robert King, to promote respect for human rights in North Korea. The Secretary has asked Ambassador Kim to also serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan.

Ambassador Kim has just completed his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. His prior experience with the State Department as Special Envoy to the Six Party Talks, Director of the Office of Korean Affairs, and assignments to Embassy Tokyo and the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs makes him uniquely qualified for the dual role of Special Representative and Deputy Assistant Secretary.

The position of Special Representative for North Korea Policy was previously held by Ambassador Glyn Davies and Ambassador Steven Bosworth.