Ambassador Joseph Yun, Senior Advisor at The Asia Group

Ambassador Joseph Y. Yun is a Senior Advisor at The Asia Group. Widely recognized as one of the leading experts on U.S. relations with North Korea, as well as Washington’s broader approach to the Asia-Pacific, he brings over three decades of insights and expertise to bolster the firm’s Korea and Southeast Asia portfolios.

Ambassador Yun previously served as the Special Representative for North Korea Policy from October 2016 to May 2018. He played an instrumental role in reopening the “New York channel,” a direct communication line with officials from Pyongyang. During this time, he concurrently held the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea and Japan, responsible for all aspects of bilateral relations with the two treaty allies.

From 2011 to 2013, Ambassador Yun served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and led efforts to normalize diplomatic relations with Myanmar. His previous assignments also included Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asian Affairs, Counselor for Political Affairs in the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Economic Counselor in the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, as well as earlier assignments in South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and France. Ambassador Yun is the recipient of a Presidential Meritorious Service Award, four Superior Honors Awards, and nine Foreign Service Performance Awards from the U.S. State Department.

Ambassador Yun holds degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Wales.