List of United States Special Representatives for North Korea explained

Post:United States Special Representative for North Korea
Korean: 대북특별대표
Insignia:File:US Department of State official seal.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Insigniacaption:Seal of the United States Department of State
Nominator:The President of the United States
Appointer:Secretary of State

The United States Special Representative for The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the top US State Department official who represents the United States' interests with respect to North Korea in a diplomatic context. North Korea and the United States have no formal diplomatic relations. (See North Korea–United States relations.) Sweden acts as the protecting power of United States interests in North Korea for consular matters.[1]

Current office holders

President Joe Biden announced on May 21, 2021 that Sung Kim will serve as the U.S. special envoy for North Korea.[2]

List of Special Representatives

Special Representatives!Term start!Term end!US President!NK Supreme Leader
1Stephen W. BosworthFebruary 20, 2009October 26, 2011Barack ObamaKim Jong-il
2Glyn T. DaviesOctober 26, 2011November 6, 2014
Kim Jong-un
3Sung KimNovember 6, 2014November 3, 2016
4Joseph Y. YunOctober 17, 2016 March 2, 2018
Donald Trump
5Stephen BiegunAugust 23, 2018 January 20, 2021
6Sung KimMay 21, 2021November 21, 2023Joe Biden
7Jung H. PakNovember 21, 2023 July 5, 2024
Stephen W. Bosworth served as special envoy to North Korea from 2009 to 2011, under President Obama. He had previously been an ambassador to several countries, including to South Korea from 1997 to 2001.[3]

Glyn Davies served as the Special Representative for North Korea Policy from January 2012-November 2014.[4]

Sung Kim served as the Special Representative for North Korea Policy from November 2014-September 2016 and as Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks from 2008-2011.[5]

Joseph Y. Yun served as the Special Representative for North Korea Policy October 17, 2016 – March 2, 2018.[6]

Stephen Biegun was appointed by Secretary Mike Pompeo and served from 2018–2021.[7]

List of Special Envoys on North Korean Human Rights Issues

Special Envoys !Term start!Term end!US President!NK Supreme Leader
1Jay LefkowitzAugust 19, 2005January 2009George W. BushKim Jong-il
2Robert R. KingNovember 24, 2009 January 12, 2017Barack ObamaKim Jong-il
Kim Jong-un
3Julie TurnerOctober 13, 2023IncumbentJoe BidenKim Jong-un
Jay Lefkowitz was President George W. Bush's Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea.[8]

Robert R. King served as Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues from November 2009 to January 2017.[9]

List of Special Envoys for the Six-Party Talks

!Special Envoys !Term start!Term end!US President!NK Supreme Leader
Jack PritchardApril 2001September 2003George W. BushKim Jong-il
James A. KellySeptember 2003January 2005George W. BushKim Jong-il
Christopher R. HillFebruary 14, 20052008George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Kim Jong-il
Sung KimJuly 31, 2008October 13, 2011Barack Obama Kim Jong-il
Clifford HartOctober 31, 2011July 23, 2013Barack Obama Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-un
Sydney SeilerSeptember 2, 20142015Barack Obama Kim Jong-un
Clifford Hart served as the Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks October 2011-July 2013.[10]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: U.S. Relations with North Korea . U.S. Department of State . October 18, 2016 . 2017-08-13 .
  2. Web site: Biden Appoints Career Diplomat Sung Kim To Serve As Special Envoy To North Korea. 2021-05-22. The Public Radio Service of Western Kentucky University. en-US. 22 May 2021.
  3. News: Langer. Emily. January 6, 2016. Stephen W. Bosworth, three-time U.S. ambassador, dies at 76. Washington Post. dead. December 2, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20160107144040/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/stephen-w-bosworth-three-time-us-ambassador-dies-at-76/2016/01/06/5c437be2-b489-11e5-a842-0feb51d1d124_story.html. 2016-01-07.
  4. News: Davies, Glyn. U.S. Department of State. 2017-01-24.
  5. News: Kim, Sung. U.S. Department of State. 2017-01-24.
  6. News: Yun, Joseph Y.. U.S. Department of State. 2017-01-24.
  7. News: Harris . Gardiner . New York Times . August 23, 2018 . Pompeo Will Return to North Korea Next Week With Reinforcement . August 23, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180823175411/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/world/asia/pompeo-north-korea-envoy.html . 2018-08-23 . live.
  8. Web site: Final report of Jay Lefkowitz, U.S. Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea - Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 2020-07-18. ReliefWeb. en.
  9. News: King, Robert R.. U.S. Department of State. 2017-01-24.
  10. News: US envoy for six-party talks moved and not yet replaced. live. 2017-01-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202022221/http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/585415.html. 2017-02-02.