Im Jong-seok | |
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임종석 | |
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Chief of Staff to the President | |
In office 10 May 2017 – 8 January 2019 | |
President | Moon Jae-in |
Succeeded by | Noh Young-min |
Personal details | |
Born | Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, South Korea | 24 April 1966
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater | Hanyang University |
Signature | ![]() |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 임종석 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Im Jongseok |
McCune–Reischauer | Im Chongsŏk |
Im Jong-seok (Korean: 임종석; Hanja: 任鍾晳; born 24 April 1966) is a South Korean politician and former Chief of Staff for Moon Jae-in currently serving as Moon's Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy to UAE.[1][2] Im served as Moon's chief of staff during the primary and 2017 presidential election.
Im previously served as vice/deputy mayor for political/state affairs under Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a two-term member of the National Assembly, and secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Korea.[3] He was a prominent student activist in the pro-democracy movement during the 1980s. Im was head of the National Council of Student Representatives in 1989 and served three and a half years in prison for facilitating Lim Su-kyung's unauthorized visit to North Korea in violation of the National Security Law.[4]
Im supports engagement with North Korea.