Ph.D., J.D. Born in Seoul in 1936, Joungwon Kim graduated from Kyunggi High School before embarking on a journey to the United States, becoming the first Korean student admitted to Phillips Exeter Academy. While at Harvard University, he made history as the first Korean student body president and garnered national recognition when he penned a rebuttal to a Boston Globe article titled “Korea a Costly Den of Thieves,” instilling pride in post-war Koreans during a time of national uncertainty.
He later earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and conducted research at prestigious institutions such as the Brookings Institution, the Washington Center of Foreign Policy Research, Columbia University’s Research Institute on Communist Affairs and Harvard Law School’s East Asian Legal Studies program. Transitioning into academia, he served as a professor at Rutgers University before pursuing a J.D. at Harvard Law School. As a lawyer at Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander, he earned the distinction of being the first Korean attorney on Wall Street.
In 1987, he returned to the Republic of Korea to contribute to its democratization. He served as Deputy Director for International Affairs at the National Security Planning Agency (now the National Intelligence Service), Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and President of the Korea Foundation. After retiring from public service, he continued his career as a university professor and international arbitrator at the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC. He passed away on January 25, 2023, and in accordance with his wishes, Memorial Association for Dr. Joungwon Kim was established.
