Ray Matsumoto is a master's student of history at Washington State University specializing in modern Japanese history, East Asian foreign policy, and the politics of war memory. He previously completed his bachelor's degree at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, majoring in Philosophy and the History of Science and Mathematics. 

Ray's interest in North Korea stems from his discovery that his grandfather was a Zainichi Korean (Korean in Japan). As a Japanese national born and raised in Japan who attended international schools, Ray had a strong interest in international relations and global history from early on. However, this discovery inspired him to explore modern Japan and Korean history, and pursue a research fellowship at Pacific Atrocities Education (PAE), a non-profit organization that advocates for victims of atrocities in the Asia-Pacific region. At PAE, he published a book on the history and contemporary significance of Imperial Japanese propaganda. 

Through the internship at HRNK, Ray hopes to expand his understanding of contemporary human rights issues in North Korea and gain experience working in the foreign policy sector. In addition, he plans to transfer this experience to his scholarly work on Zainichi Koreans and their relationship to North Korea during the postwar era.