Jin Park

Jin Park is a Member of the 21st National Assembly of Republic of Korea, serving for his fourth term in the National Assembly (16th, 17th, 18th, 21st). After 8 years of academic life from 2012, Dr. Jin Park has returned to his political career, representing the Gangnam-2nd District. He is currently serving as a Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. 

During his private life, Dr. Park led the Asia Future Institute (AFI), an independent policy think-tank established in 2013 and designed to conduct research on economic, political and strategic issues in Asia and promote Korea's role in the Asia-Pacific region. He also served as the Chairman of Korea-America Association (KAA) which was created in 1963 to promote mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between Korea and the United States. 

Dr. Park served as a Member of Parliament for 10 years in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Sessions of the National Assembly representing 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, Korea-EU FTA, North Korea Human Rights Act, ODA Law and PKO Law in his own committee. 

During 20 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 (2004-2006), Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee (2006-2010) and a ranking member of the Knowledge Economy Committee (2010-2012). He was also actively involved in parliamentary diplomacy with the U.S., the U.K., China, Japan, ASEAN, Central Asia, Israel and the Middle East.

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 since 2001 and a regular member of the Seoul Forum for International Affairs. He has served as a Global Fellow (2014-) of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. Dr. Park also taught as an endowed Chair Professor at the Graduate School of International and Area Studies of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Previously he led the Korea-Britain Society as the Executive President (2007-2017). 

With great affection for the sea, he served in the Korean military as a Navy officer, Lieutenant JG (1980-1983) lecturing naval cadets in the Korean Naval Academy in Jinhae. His vision is to realize a unified Korea and a strong maritime nation. He was conferred a title of the Honorary Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen ElizabethⅡ. He is married to Yoon Hee Cho, a violinist, and has a son and a daughter.