김동전은 1962년 제주 출생으로 제주대학교 문학사, 단국대학교 문학석사 및 문학박사를 취득하였다. 1995년에 제주대학교 사학과 교수로 부임하여 인문대학 학장, 박물관장을 역임하였다. 2018년부터 현재까지는 제주연구원장으로 재직하며 대통령 직속 국가균형발전위원회 지역정책 및 공약 특별위원회 위원, 제주지역혁신협의회 위원, 제주특별자치도 지방대학 및 지역균형인재 육성지원협의회 위원으로 활동하는 등 제주의 발전에 기여하고 있다.

Dr. Dong-Jeon Kim was born in Jeju Province, Korea in 1962, and he obtained BA of Literature from Jeju National University, and MA and Ph.D. of Literature from Dankook University. In 1995, he was appointed as a professor of the Department of History at Jeju National University, and he held the post of the Dean of the College of Humanities and the Chief of Jeju National University Museum. Since 2018, he has served as the Chief of the Jeju Research Institute. Also, he is contributing to the development of Jeju as a member of the Select Committee of Policy and Campaign Pledge for Regional Plan at the Korean Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development. For the Jeju Society, Dr. Kim is being active in a member of Jeju Regional Innovation Council, and a member of Promotion and Support Council of Local Universities and Colleges, and Regional Human Resources in Jeju Special-Governing Province.