Sung Kim, Hyundai's adviser, to receive George F. Kennan Award

Sung Kim, a former top U.S. envoy to North Korea who currently serves as an adviser for Hyundai Motor, has been named to receive this year's George F. Kennan Award for Distinguished Public Service.

Sung Kim [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Sung Kim, a former U.S. envoy to North Korea who currently serves as an adviser for Hyundai Motor, has been named to receive this year's George F. Kennan Award for Distinguished Public Service in recognition of his contributions toward building U.S. diplomatic policies.

The award will be presented by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) think tank in a ceremony scheduled for Oct. 24 in New York.

"Sung Kim has built a superb career in diplomacy including serving as an ambassador in three countries: South Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia," the NCAFP said as a reason for selecting Kim for the award.

The NCAFP was formed in 1974 with the purpose of supporting U.S. diplomatic policies. It created the George F. Kennan Award in 1994 to honor the late George F. Kennan, a U.S. diplomat known for his opposition to Soviet expansionism. Prior recipients include Cyrus Vance, former U.S. Secretary of State, and James Wolfensohn, former president of World Bank Group.

Born in 1960, Kim joined the U.S. foreign service in 1988 and served as the U.S. ambassador to South Korea from 2011 to 2014. Kim then served as ambassador to the Philippines from 2016 to 2020.

He was appointed as a special envoy to North Korea by U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021 after holding the same role for the six-party talks during the George W. Bush administration. Kim also fulfilled his term as U.S. ambassador to Indonesia from 2020 to 2023.

Kim joined Hyundai Motor Group as an adviser in January with a role to spearhead U.S. market strategies and respond to global supply chains.

"I believe the latest award is the result of the collective efforts of many colleagues who served the public for decades," Kim said. "I will endeavor to make positive changes in the international community and diplomacy."

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]