Mintaro Oba comes to HRNK from American University’s School of International Service.  His background as a dual citizen of Japan and the United States drives his interest in East Asian security and human rights issues.    Relevant courses include China, Japan, and the U.S., International Relations of East Asia, U.S.-China Relations, Korean Politics & Foreign Policy, and Southeast Asia, US, and Regional Powers.  He is an intern at American University’s Center for Asian Studies and worked on foreign relations and human rights issues with U.S. Senator John Kerry.  His research interests include the status of North Korean refugees in China  and the challenge of balancing both security and human rights in the ongoing U.S. policy approach towards North Korea.