KEI Contributor

Gabriela Bernal is a Korean affairs analyst specializing in North Korea. She is a freelance contributor for various news outlets, including Nikkei Asia, Daily NK, the Asia Times, The Diplomat, and more.

She is also currently a PhD candidate at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, South Korea. She received a scholarship from the South Korean Ministry of Unification in 2020 to specialize in North Korean affairs. Her academic focus is on North Korea’s foreign policy and Korean reunification.

Gabriela holds a BSc in political science from Arizona State University, an MA in human rights from Sciences Po Paris, and an MA in international peace and security from King’s College London.

She previously interned at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs in Bangkok, Thailand in 2019. She has also been translating articles from KOR-ENG for Daily NK since Dec. 2019.

Originally from the Dutch Caribbean, Gabriela has traveled extensively and speaks six languages (Dutch, English, Papiamentu, Spanish, French, and Korean). She is currently learning Japanese.