
Robert R. King served as special envoy for North Korea human rights issues at the U.S. Department of State. He was nominated by President Barack Obama, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and served in that position from November 2009 to January 2017. Ambassador King led U.S. efforts to press North Korea for progress on its human rights, U.S. humanitarian work in North Korea, and the treatment of U.S. citizens being held in the North. He represented the United States in international organizations dealing with these issues. Earlier, Dr. King was staff director of the House Foreign Affairs Committee under Chairmen Tom Lantos and Howard Berman and prior to that was a senior professional staff member of the committee (1993–2009). He was concurrently chief of staff to Representative Tom Lantos (1983–2009). In the 1970s, as a White House fellow, he was a member of the National Security Council staff working with Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski in the Jimmy Carter administration. He was also assistant director of research and senior analyst at Radio Free Europe in Munich Germany (1970–1977). Dr. King holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a B.A. in political science from Brigham Young University. An adjunct professor, he has taught courses in international relations and U.S. foreign policy in a number of graduate and undergraduate programs. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross Order of Merit by the president of the Republic of Hungary.
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Marco Rubio and the Outlook for North Korean Human Rights Under Trump 2.0
Commentary by Robert R. King — February 12, 2025
Jimmy Carter’s Post-Presidency Role in U.S.-North Korea Relations
Commentary by Robert R. King — January 6, 2025
Jimmy Carter’s Post-Presidency Role in U.S.-North Korea Relations
Podcast Episode by Robert R. King — January 6, 2025

The 20th Anniversary of the North Korean Human Rights Act
Commentary by Robert R. King — October 18, 2024
Tenth Anniversary of UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights Abuses in North Korea
Commentary by Robert R. King — February 6, 2024
"Beyond Utopia" and Human Rights in North Korea
Event — November 2, 2023
Special Envoy for North Korea Human Rights Confirmed by the Senate, but Still Not in Office at the State Department
Newsletter by Robert R. King — October 11, 2023
The UN Security Council’s First North Korean Human Rights Session since 2017
Commentary by Robert R. King — August 30, 2023
North Korean Refugees and the Imminent Danger of Forced Repatriation from China
Newsletter by Robert R. King — June 14, 2023