KIM Hyeongsoo is a Professor of Public Administration at Dankook University and President of the Korean Association of Northeast Asian Studies. He serves as Executive Chair of the Korea Local Diplomacy Forum, where he leads academic, governmental, and media collaboration to promote the institutionalization of local diplomacy in Korea. His research focuses on local diplomacy, Northeast Asian cultural communities, and cultural policy, with a special interest in soft power strategies grounded in regional identity. His recent work, titled “An Analysis of the Enactment of the Local Diplomacy Act to Revitalize Local Diplomacy: Focusing on the Orientation of Diplomatic Principles” (Korean Journal of Northeast Asian Studies, 2023), offers a theoretical and policy-oriented framework for strengthening the global engagement capacity of local governments.