Thursday, May 26, 2016
9:30a.m. – 11:00a.m.

Discussants: 
David Asher
Adjunct Senior Fellow, Center for New American Security

William Newcomb
Visiting Scholar, U.S.-Korea Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Moderator: 
Greg Scarlatoiu
Executive Director, HRNK

As non-resident fellow at the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, Mr. Kim Kwang-jin is an invaluable experienced resource shedding light into the darkest corners of the North Korean regime‘s secret and illegal international financial operations. His revelations have saved re-insurance companies tens of millions of dollars and brought an end to an important method the corrupt regime purloined from foreign sources the funds it needed to maintain its internal oppression.

In September 2003, Kim Kwang-jin and his family rushed to an airport in Southeast Asia to fly to freedom in Seoul, South Korea. Months earlier, Mr. Kim lived a privileged life working for the government’s overseas banking operations in Singapore. Then, Mr. Kim fell out of favor after he was suspected of leaking information about the regime to foreign nationals. Before being summoned back to North Korea to face severe punishment, Kim made the decision to defect with his family. During his banking career, Mr. Kim helped earn millions of dollars for what he calls North Korea's “Royal Court Economy,” i.e., the enterprises and often illegal schemes that financially supported the country’s totalitarian regime.

Since arriving in South Korea, Mr. Kim has served as an analyst at the ROK Institute for National Security Strategy.  A household name on TV and radio programs addressing North Korea, he has worked as a consultant for the ROK Unification Ministry as well as media organizations including KBS, MBC, and RFA. He is a standing member of the ROK National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC). His educational background includes completion of Ph.D. course work and an MBA in Finance and Insurance from Kookmin University (Seoul, 2014, 2012), a Master’s in Economics/IT of North Korea at the University of North Korean Studies (Seoul, 2008), and a BA in British Literature from Kim Il Sung University (Pyongyang, 1989). Working for the North Korean regime, Mr. Kim served as Singapore Representative of North East Asia Bank (2002-2003); an agent of the Korean Foreign Insurance Company and North East Asia Bank, Pyongyang, (1998-2002), and Professor of the Pyongyang Computer College (1991-1997).  He has published numerous papers and articles on the North Korean economy and the current power transition in North Korea, including: “Gulag, Inc.—The Use of Forced Labor in North Korea’s Export Industries” (upcoming HRNK publication); – “After Kim Jong-il: Can We Hope for Better Human Rights Protection?” (HRNK, 2009, 2011); “Financial Institutions in North Korea and Their Role”(2016); “North Korea's Provocations after Presidential Elections in South Korea”(2012); “On KWP's Role and Its Prospect in Power Transition to Kim Jong-eun” (2011); “The Defector's Tale, Inside North Korea's Secret Economy”, World Affairs Journal (2011); “Kim Jong Il’s Royal Court Economy and Destruction of the People’s Economy” (2008); “The Change of North Korea’s Foreign Exchange Control System and its Increasing Dependence on Foreign Currency” (2008); “The Dollarization of North Korea Economy and Kim Jong Il’s Royal Court Economy” (2007); “The Korea Foreign Trade Bank and North Korea’s Foreign Exchange Control System” (2007); and “The US Financial Sanctions Regime on North Korea and Its Prospect” (2006)