Kim Hyun-jong

In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.

Kim Hyun-jong (Korean: 김현종; Hanja: 金鉉宗; born 27 September 1959 in Seoul) is a former Director General of Free Trade Negotiations under Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in.^[1]

Kim Hyun-jong
김현종
Special Advisor to the President on Foreign Affairs, Diplomacy and National Security
In office 20 January 2021 – 10 May 2022
President	Moon Jae-in
Preceded by	Chung Eui-yong
2nd Deputy Director of National Security Office
In office 28 February 2019 – 20 January 2021
President	Moon Jae-in
Succeeded by	Kim Hyung-jin
Director General of Free Trade Negotiations
In office 31 July 2017 – 27 February 2019
President	Moon Jae-in
Prime Minister	Lee Nak-yeon
Succeeded by	Yoo Myung-hee
In office 28 July 2004 – 8 August 2007
President	Roh Moo-hyun
Prime Minister	Lee Hae-chan Han Myung-sook
Preceded by	Hwang Doo-yeon
Succeeded by	Kim Jong-hoon
Personal details
Born	(1959-09-27) 27 September 1959 (age 65)
Alma mater	Columbia University (BA, MA, JD)

From May 2003, the very beginning of the Roh administration, as the deputy minister for trade and later the minister for trade, he was one of the most central figures in Roh administration's trade policy for more than 4 years. In particular, he initiated numerous free trade agreement(FTA) plans or talks with Canada, India (CEPA), Mexico, MERCOSUR, GCC, Singapore, EFTA, ASEAN, and United States. The FTAs with Singapore, EFTA, ASEAN, and USA had been signed before he moved to UN. These 4 blocks and Chile (the first nation with which South Korean signed FTA) compose 25.78% of all South Korean trade (according to data in 2006).

Under President Moon, Kim served as his first Trade Minister. He led the re-negotiation of the KORUS FTA. In 2019 he was reshuffled to Office of National Security as its Deputy Director responsible for coordinating foreign and inter-korean policies.^[2][3] In 2021 he was again reshuffled to President Moon's Special Advisor on foreign policy.^[4] In June 2025, it was reported that Kim was under consideration to serve in South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's cabinet.^[5]

He also took various roles representing South Korean government at the WTO, UN and APEC.

Moreover, he previously worked for Milbank LLP, Skadden, Yoon & Yang LLC (then-Kim Shin & Yu) and Samsung Electronics.

He taught international trade at South Korean universities - Hongik University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

He holds three degrees from Columbia University: B.A. (1981) and M.A. (1982) in Political Science and a J.D. (1985) from Columbia Law School in New York.^[6][7] He also graduated from Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts in 1977.^[7]

Honors

• Order of Service Merit by the government of South Korea (2009)

Publications

• The Trend of Block Economy and NAFTA (1995)
• When are Government Loans Subsidies? Hanbo Steel and the Application of the WTO Subsidies Agreement (1998)

See also

• United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement
• Lists of free trade agreements