Senior Fellows

Ambassador Sung Kim is President of the Hyundai Motor Company since 2025. As a foremost expert on East Asian and Korean Peninsula affairs in the United States, Kim has held key roles across successive U.S. administrations. Ambassador Kim has served as U.S. Special Representative for the DPRK, acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs,  Ambassador to Indonesia, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. Ambassador Kim was the first Asian-American to hold three U.S. ambassadorships.  Prior to joining the diplomatic service, he worked as a prosecutor in Los Angeles, California. Ambassador Kim was born in Seoul, Korea, and grew up in Los Angeles. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania (BA), Loyola University (JD), and London School of Economics (LLM). He also received honorary doctorates from the Catholic University of Korea and the Holy Name University of the Philippines.