Joseph Y. Yun

Joseph Yun


U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan
Incumbent
Assumed office October 17, 2016
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Preceded by	Sung Kim
United States Ambassador to Malaysia
In office October 2, 2013 – October 14, 2016
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Paul Jones
Succeeded by	Kamala Lakhdhir
Personal details
Born	1954 (age 62–63) Seoul, South Korea
Spouse(s)	Melanie Billings-Yun
Alma mater	London School of Economics University of Cardiff

Joseph Yuosang Yun (born 1954) is the United States Special Representative for North Korea Policy and, concurrently, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan in the US State Department. He was appointed October 17, 2016. His previous assignment was as the United States Ambassador to Malaysia, nominated by President Barack Obama on July 23, 2013 and confirmed by the Senate on August 1, 2013. From 2011 to 2013 he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and from 2010 to 2011 as Deputy Assistant Secretary. His overseas postings include the Republic of Korea, Thailand, France, Indonesia and Hong Kong. He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Yun left Korea for Nigeria in 1964 at the age of 10, following his father, Dr. Suk Woo Yun, who was a doctor with the World Health Organization. Yun was educated from middle school on in the United Kingdom, earning his bachelor's degree from Cardiff University in 1976, and Master of Science (1977) and Master of Philosophy (1981) degrees from the London School of Economics. He met his wife, Melanie Billings-Yun, at LSE and they were married in 1977. They have one son, Matthew Yun. Before joining the Foreign Service, Yun was a senior economist for Data Resources, Inc., in Lexington, MA.