Participant Biographies

Yun Byung-se

Yun Byung-se

Foreign Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea
Dinner Speech on April 28th

Minister Yun is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Korea and a career diplomat with 32 years of experience. His postings have included the United States (Political Minister with Ambassador’s rank), the United Nations (both the New York and Geneva missions), Singapore, and Australia. Minister Yun also served as the chief of policy coordination at the National Security Council (2004-2006), Deputy Foreign Minister (2006) and Senior Presidential Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Security and Unification Policy in the Roh Moo-hyun Administration (2003-2008). Minister Yun has held positions at several Korean foreign and security policy institutions, including President Park Geun-hye’s think tank, the National Future Institute. He is also one of the primary architects of Park’s “Trustpolitik” policy, her roadmap for a peaceful Northeast Asia and national reunification with North Korea. He played a key role in arranging the 2007 inter-Korea summit and coordinating diplomatic successes such as the inauguration of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in 1989, Korea’s admission to the U.N. in 1991, and the 3rd Asia-Europe Summit in Korea in 2000.