Dr Sung-wook Nam is an East Asia expert with theoretical and practical experience in academia, government and intelligence services on North Korea and China. He has worked as an analyst for the Korean National Intelligence Service and an advisor to Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of National Unification and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He is currently a director of the Center for North Koreanology at the Asiatic Research Institute, Korea University since 2013. He received his PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia, USA.

He has also worked as a commentator on international affairs at the Korea Broadcasting Service since 2008.

His academic career includes four years as Professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Women’s University, and five years as the head of the School of National Intelligence Academy.

Since entering academia in 1999, his positions in the government include the President of Institute for National Security Strategy in 2008-2011, and the general director of the National Unification Council Advisory (vice-minister level) in 2012-2013.

In addition to numerous papers and books, he is the author of North Korean Food Shortage and Reform of Collective Farm (Hertze Verlag: Muchen Germany, 2006).