On November 19, 2020, the GW Institute for Korean Studies (GWIKS) co-sponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations, hosted a GWIKS Interview Series with GW alumnus, Joon Hyung Kim (CCAS MA ’90 & PhD ’97), Chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. Dr. Kim was a member of Moon Jae In’s presidential election camp, where he advised on and formulated major foreign policies. After Moon was elected, he joined the Government Transition Committee, and became a member of the Presidential Commission on Policy Planning (Security and Foreign Policy Sub-committee). In addition, he has also served the Advisory Committees to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Unification, and the National Security Council. During the event, Dr. Kim was able to share his personal experience and his analysis on international politics.
Moderated by Yonho Kim, Associate Director of GWIKS, the session began with Dr. Kim giving a brief introduction on the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA). Established in 1963, KNDA is an affiliated agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). The academy’s two major focus is on educating and training new diplomats and conducting research.
Moving on to the next topic, Dr. Kim talked about his experience at George Washington University. He chose GW because the name of the school and the location, heart of politics, was intriguing. Dr. Kim felt like he would be able to meet prominent figures if he studied in Washington, DC. While the campus was different from expectations, having no walls, he found his years at GW rewarding. After graduation, Dr. Kim was able to pursue both his goals as a professor and a scholar. He encouraged the students to not worry too much, but study hard and do what they enjoy.
Shifting the interview to the pandemic issue, Dr. Kim talked about his book The World after COVID-19 and US Elections (2020). He argued how the pandemic has increased the demand for pursuit on ‘return of the state.’ When globalization was spreading, the quote was ‘retreat of the state, but the pandemic has proved the necessity of public institution. Dr. Kim claimed that centralized or state-centric countries are more functional to manage these public health issues. However, he mentioned the significance of the dynamic balance between the state and civil society and how Korea is a showcase of the success of the balance.
Furthermore, Dr. Kim touched on the diplomatic issues of Korea focusing on the US and China. While the Cold War weakened Dr. Kim believes it is still there. The continuous contention between the US and China is challenging to Korea who needs to maintain an alliance with the US and a trade partnership with China. Korea needs globalization not tension between the geopolitical powers. Before ending the session, Dr. Kim answered a variety of questions which issues ranged from Korea’s former and incumbent presidents’ foreign policies, KNDA and training Korean diplomats, expectations on incoming Biden administration, Korea’s perception on North Korea’s nuclear issues, and more.
