Park In-kook

President, Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS) Chair, Shanghai Forum Organizing Committee

Mr. Park In-kook is President of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS). He also currently teaches at the Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University as a visiting professor.

Prior to joining KFAS, Mr. Park served as a career diplomat for the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1978 to 2011. He most recently served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations (2008-2011), and has previously served as the Ambassador to Geneva and Kuwait. He has also served in the United States, in Brussels (at the Republic of Korea’s Mission to the EU), and in Saudi Arabia. At the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served as Director of the

United Nations Division II, Director of the Disarmament and Nuclear Energy Division, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations(2006), and Deputy Foreign Minister for multilateral and global issues (2007).Between 2002 and 2003, he was Secretary to the President of the Republic of Korea for International Security.

His other ambassadorial roles have included serving as President of the Geneva Conference on Disarmament (2004), Chairman of the 2nd Committee of the UN General Assembly (2009-2010), and Co-Chair of the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 UN Environment Summit in 2012). He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature and a Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Law at Seoul National University.