Kim Won-soo (; born 1956) is a Korean diplomat and a former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Prior to that assignment, he served as a Special Advisor to the

Secretary-General of the United Nations The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary-g ...

since 2007.

Early life

Kim joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978 and has served in various capacities, including overseas posting at Korean embassies in the United States and India. From 1996 to 1997, he was Alternative Representative and Coordinator of the Republic of Korea to the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...

as well as Political Counselor to the country's Permanent Mission to the United Nations. From 2000 to 2002, he was Secretary for International Security Affairs in the Office of the President of the Republic of Korea. In the following year, he served as Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Between 2004 and 2005, he was Director-General for Policy Planning and Ambassador for Regional Security Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then he became Special Adviser to the Foreign Minister and Ambassador for UN issues in 2006. Prior to his appointment to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

, he served as Ambassador of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

from October to December 2007.

Career

Kim was one of the most influential advisors to UN Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...

and widely considered his right-hand man. He is appointed as

Under Secretary-General An under-secretary-general of the United Nations (USG) is a senior official within the United Nations System, normally appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the secretary-general for a renewable term of four years. Under-s ...

and Acting High Representative for Disarmament Affairs since June 2015, and has since led efforts to investigate chemical weapon attacks in Syria and dismantle the chemical weapons stockpile. In a recent address marking the coinciding 70th anniversary of the UN and 70th anniversary of the first and last use of nuclear weapons in war, Kim outlined goals to address the urgent issue of nuclear disarmament as well as sustainable development related to climate concerns. On the Koreas, he suggests that

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

n provocations ought to be stopped, yet the United Nations leave a door open should the North Korean stance reverses.

Education

Kim holds a Bachelor of Law from

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

in Korea and a Master of Arts from the

Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a graduate school of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., United States, with campuses in Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, China. It is consistently ranked one of the ...

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

, United States. He was also a visiting fellow at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

Personal life

He is married with two sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Won-Soo South Korean diplomats Living people Seoul National University alumni Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies alumni Year of birth missing (living people)