Jung H. Pak

Dr Jung H. Pak is a Distinguished Associate Fellow at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Dr. Pak was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, where she was responsible for overseeing relations with Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands and deepening and expanding US relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. She concurrently served as the top US official on North Korea policy, working closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan on global outreach, counter-proliferation, sanctions and countering North Korea’s cyber activities. Prior to State, Dr. Pak was a senior officer at the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, winning numerous awards for superior analytical accomplishments.

Outside of government service, Dr. Pak was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where she focused on Korean Peninsula issues, East Asia regional dynamics and transnational threats related to proliferation, cyber-security and climate change. Her book, Becoming Kim Jong Un (Ballantine, 2020), has been translated into multiple languages and draws from her deep knowledge and experience as an intelligence officer.

She received her PhD from Columbia University in New York City and studied in South Korea as a Fulbright Scholar. Her insights and commentary have been featured in dozens of major print and broadcast media in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Dr. Pak currently serves on the Advisory Council of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC and on the Leadership Council for Women in National Security.