Korean-American Jung Park Appointed as U.S. State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs

Jung Park, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia and the Pacific, U.S. Department of State [Source=Brookings Institution]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Jung Park (real name Park Jeonghyun), a Korean-American expert on North Korea, has been appointed as the U.S. Department of State's Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

On the 26th (local time), Jung Park announced via Twitter, "I am pleased to announce that I am joining the State Department as Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs," adding, "It is an honor to serve the American people once again." He previously joined the intelligence agency review team formed by President Joe Biden's transition team immediately after last year's election victory, leading to speculation that he might be appointed to a senior position in the State Department or other security agencies in the future.

The U.S. Department of State's East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau is responsible for diplomacy in the East Asia region. Sung Kim, who has served as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Special Representative for North Korea Policy, and Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is currently serving as the Acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Jung Park's appointment to the State Department is understood to be due to his recognized expertise from his experience handling East Asia in U.S. intelligence agencies. He has served as Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and as Director of the East Asia Mission Center at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Additionally, his background as an expert on security issues on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea, appears to have contributed to his selection. Since September 2017, he has served as the Korea Chair at the Brookings Institution, a U.S. think tank.

While working as a Korean Peninsula expert, he has expressed skepticism about North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's commitment to denuclearization and has also been critical of the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policy. On the 22nd, he published an article titled "North Korea's Long Shadow Over South Korean Democracy" on the Brookings Institution website, criticizing President Moon's North Korea policy.

The Assistant Secretary position does not require Senate confirmation, so it is expected that the related work assignments will be completed soon and he will begin his duties immediately.

Attention is also focused on whether Sung Kim will be nominated as Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. This position requires Senate confirmation, and if confirmed, both the Assistant Secretary and Assistant Secretary positions would be held by Korean-Americans.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.