The Situation on the Korean Peninsula: Inter-Korean Relations, the North Korean Nuclear Issue, and Unification

Ambassador Kim Sook, a career South Korean diplomat since 1978, has been South Korea’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York since July 2011. Previously, he served as First Deputy Director of Korea’s National Intelligence Service from 2009. Earlier assignments for the Foreign Ministry include service as the Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, in which capacity he headed the South Korean delegation to the Six Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue; Ambassador for Public Diplomacy for Korea-U.S. Relations; Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau; Senior Research Officer, Department of American Studies, Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security; and Consul General in Toronto, Canada. Ambassador Kim graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in sociology.