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Dr. Seungpyo Hong currently serves as Director of Future Generations Education at the National Institute for Unification Education under the Ministry of Unification. He holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Geography from Seoul National University.
His engagement with North Korea began during his service as an R.O.T.C. officer stationed in a frontline combat unit. As a diplomat at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China, he witnessed critical moments in inter-Korean relations, including the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan, the artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island, and Kim Jong-il’s visits to China. During the regime transition from Kim Jong-il to Kim Jong-un, he served as a policy officer at the Ministry of Unification and experienced the rapid evolution of unification policy.
Later, Dr. Hong worked at the Kaesong Industrial District Management Committee in North Korea’s Kaesong Industrial Complex, where he directly experienced the unique “in-between” space of inter-Korean cooperation and was present at the time of its final shutdown. Drawing on these experiences, he joined Samjong KPMG’s Economic Research Institute as a senior researcher, focusing on North Korea’s economy and industrial development. His growing interest in unification education led him to his current role overseeing school-based unification education programs.
In this presentation, Dr. Hong reflects on ways to enhance the contribution and influence of geographers in unification policy and international cooperation, drawing from his field experience at the International Geographical Union (IGU), the Ministry of Unification, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
