Kim Hyun-jong


Kim Hyun-jong is a former minister for trade under Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in currently serving as the deputy national security advisor to the President Moon.
From May 2003, the very beginning of the Roh administration, as the deputy minister for trade and later the minister for trade, he was one of the most central figures in Roh administration's trade policy for more than 4 years. In particular, he initiated numerous free trade agreement plans or talks with Canada, India, Mexico, MERCOSUR, GCC, Singapore, EFTA, ASEAN, and United States. The FTAs with Singapore, EFTA, ASEAN, and USA had been signed before he moved to UN. These 4 blocks and Chile compose 25.78% of all South Korean trade. Moreover, he led the re-negotiation of the KORUS FTA when he became the first trade minister for President Moon.
He also took various roles representing South Korean government at the WTO, UN and APEC.
Moreover, he previously worked for Milbank LLP, Skadden, and Samsung Electronics.
He taught international trade at South Korean universities - Hongik University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
He holds three degrees from Columbia University: B.A. and M.A. in Political Science and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in New York.

Honors