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Robert King

Distinguished Fellow
Korea Economic Institute of America
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About Robert King

Ambassador Robert King is currently a Non-Resident Fellow at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) and a Senior Advisor to the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Prior to joining KEI, he was the Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues following confirmation by the United States Senate in November 2009. Ambassador King worked as the leading U.S. official on human rights and humanitarian affairs for North Korea. Prior to his appointment, he worked on Capitol Hill for 25 years. He was concurrently Staff Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U. S. House of Representatives (2007-2008), Democratic Staff Director of the Committee (2001-2007), and had held various professional staff positions on the Committee since 1993. He has authored five books and more than 40 articles on international relations. Ambassador King holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

You’ve probably heard the Korean War referred to as an unfinished conflict – but that’s not just a reference to the frozen war on the Peninsula. The sudden outbreak of…

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Region: Asia
Location: Korea, North

August 7, 2020

Should the international community suspend advocacy for human rights in favor of cooperation with odious regimes to fight the COVID-19 pandemic? This appears upon first glance like a trade-off, but…

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April 10, 2020

The number of North Korean refugees reaching South Korea in 2025 held steady at 224, roughly the same as the prior two years. But those who made it are increasingly satisfied with their decision, a shift that matters because it suggests North Koreans are successfully integrating into South Korean society despite significant barriers. A new…

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Region: Indo-Pacific
Location: Korea, South

February 4, 2026

For the twentieth year in a row, the UN General Assembly condemned North Korea’s human rights violations and did so at a moment when changing governments in the United States and South Korea raised real questions about whether the streak would hold. Instead, the vote underscored how deeply rooted global concern over Pyongyang’s abuses has…

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Region: Indo-Pacific

December 12, 2025

The U.S. Department of State’s Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2024 was released on August 12. Coverage from journalists and human rights analysts was highly critical of the Donald Trump administration’s human rights efforts under the foreign policy leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Rubio recasts long-held beliefs with cuts to…

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Region: Indo-Pacific

August 22, 2025

With the election and inauguration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in early June, the new administration is beginning to ease the country’s policy toward North Korea. The new direction echoes the policy of former President Moon Jae-in to improve relations with North Korea. President Moon held two summits with North Korean leader Kim…

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Region: Indo-Pacific
Location: Korea, South

July 17, 2025