[Profile] Hwang Junguk, UN Ambassador, 'North Korea Nuclear Expert' and 'Yoon Support Chairman'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Hwang Jun-guk, the first ambassador to the United Nations appointed by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, is regarded within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a rational-style 'North Korea nuclear expert' bureaucrat who has experience in both bilateral and multilateral affairs.

Accordingly, he is expected to devise practical diplomatic measures to pressure North Korea at the UN Security Council, in coordination with the United States and others, in response to North Korea's repeated provocations.

He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Economics and from Princeton University Graduate School with a degree in Public Policy. He passed the 16th Foreign Service Examination.

During the first North Korea nuclear crisis in 1994, he was a working-level official involved in the North Korea-U.S. Geneva Agreed Framework negotiations. He debuted on the North Korea nuclear negotiation stage in March 2008, during the Lee Myung-bak administration, when he was appointed head of the North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy Planning Team and deputy chief delegate for South Korea in the Six-Party Talks. In 2009, he led a government inspection team to visit North Korea, toured the Yongbyon nuclear facility, and negotiated with the North on the disposal of unused fuel rods.

In 2014, he served as the head of the Korea Peace Negotiation Headquarters and chief South Korean representative to the Six-Party Talks.

He was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2016 but was recalled in 2018 amid controversy over a side agreement in the defense cost-sharing negotiations, stepping down from his post as ambassador to the UK.

He also served as the chairman of Yoon Seok-yeol’s support committee when Yoon was a presidential candidate. He worked as political counselor at the embassy alongside Prime Minister Han Duck-soo when the latter was ambassador to the United States.

▲ Seoul (63) ▲ Seoul National University, Department of Economics ▲ 16th Foreign Service Examination ▲ Protocol Officer 1, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ▲ Head of United Nations Division ▲ Counselor, Permanent Mission to the UN ▲ International Organization Cooperation Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ▲ Head of North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy Planning Team ▲ Minister-Counselor, United States ▲ Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs ▲ Ambassador in charge of ROK-U.S. Defense Cost-Sharing Negotiations ▲ Head of Korea Peace Negotiation Headquarters ▲ Ambassador to the United Kingdom

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