Speaker
PARK Jin
Affliation
Asia Future Institute
Title
President
Session

Biography

Jin Park is currently serving as the Chairman of Korean-American Association (KAA) which was created to promote mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between Korea and the United States. He is also leading the Asia Future Institute, an independent policy think-tank designed to conduct research on the U.S.-Asia relationship and promote Korea's role in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Park served in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Sessions of the National Assembly in the central Jongno District in Seoul. While in politics, he served as the Chairman of Foreign Affairs, Trade and National Unification Committee of the National Assembly (2008-2010). In that capacity, he passed the KORUS FTA, North Korea Human Rights Act, ODA Law and PKO Law in his own committee. During 24 years of his distinguished political career, he served as the Presidential Secretary for Press Affairs and later Political Affairs under the Kim Young-sam administration (1993-1998) and was elected parliamentary member in August 2002 in Seoul. During his three terms in the national assembly (one term lasts four years) he served as the member of the Science, Technology, Information and Communication Committee (2002-2004), a ranking member of the National Defense Committee (2004-2006), Intelligence Oversight Committee (2006-2008), Chairman of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee (2006-2008) and a ranking member of the Knowledge Economy Committee (2010-2012). He graduated from the College of law at Seoul National University (BA), Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (MPA), New York University Law School (LLM) and received a doctorate degree (D. Phil.) in politics from St. Antony's College, Oxford University. He is a registered member of the New York State Bar and a regular member of the Seoul Forum for International Affairs. He has been serving as a Global Fellow (2014-present) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. Dr. Park is also teaching as a distinguished Chair Professor at the Graduate School of International and Area Studies of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He served in the Korean military as a Navy officer, Lieutenant JG (1980-1983) lecturing naval cadets in the Korean naval academy. He is married to Yoon Hee Cho, a violinist, and has a son and a daughter.

박진은 현재 사단법인 ‘한미협회’ (Korean-American Association) 회장으로 활동하면서 한국외국어대학교 국제지역대학원의 석좌교수로 재직 하고 있다. 또한 비영리 정책 씽크탱크인 ‘아시아미래연구원’(Asia Future Institute)의 이사장을 맡아 21세기 글로벌 리더십과 아시아의 미래 그리고 한국의 국가전략을 주제로 국내외에서 강연 및 세미나 발표를 하고 있다.

박진은 서울 종로 출신으로 제16대, 17대, 18대 국회에서 3선 의원을 거치면서 국제통으로 활발한 의정 활동을 하였으며, 2008-10년에는 국회 외교통상통일위원장을 역임한 바 있다. 위원장 시절 처리한 주요 법안은 미국, 유럽과의 자유무역협정(FTA), 북한인권법, 유엔평화유지활동(PKO) 참여에 관한 법률, 국제개발협력기본법(ODA) 등이 있다.

박진은 서울대학교 법과대학 재학 중 제11회 외무고등고시에 합격, 이후 국비유학생으로 하버드대학 케네디스쿨(MPA)을 거쳐, 영국 옥스퍼드대학에서 정치학 박사 (D.Phil.) 학위를 받았다. 박진은 1993~98년 김영삼 문민정부에서 대통령 공보, 정무비서관을 지냈으며, 미국 뉴욕대 법학석사(LLM)를 거쳐 뉴욕주 변호사 자격을 취득하였다. 최근까지 한영협회(Korean-Britain Society) 회장과 장애인취업을 돕는 밀알복지재단의 후원회장을 역임한 바 있다. 박진은 또한 미국 워싱턴소재 우드로 윌슨 센터의 글로벌 펠로우(Global Fellow)이며, 서울국제포럼 회원과 아시아비전포럼 대표로 있다. 해군장교 출신으로 부인과 1남 1녀를 두고 있다.