KEI Contributor

Dr. Yun-hyang Lee is the Director of Office of Language Services in the U.S. Department of State and a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) in the U.S. Federal government.

As the Director of the Office of Language Services, Dr. Lee is responsible for providing interpreting (spoken) and translating (written) services for the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, and Cabinet and working-level officials throughout the U.S. federal government in support of their conduct of diplomacy and foreign affairs as well as foreign assistance and exchange programs. Dr. Lee oversees a pool of over 70 full-time employees and 1,000 contract interpreters and translators covering more than 60 languages in bilateral and multilateral meetings for the United States.

As the Senior Diplomatic Interpreter for Korean, Dr. Lee interpreted for President Biden, President Trump, President Obama, President George W. Bush, and Secretaries of State as well as other U.S. senior officials. Dr. Lee has a M.A. from Hankook University of Foreign Studies, Korea and a Ph. D. from University of Geneva, Switzerland. She taught at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, California and at Ewha Womans University in Korea.