Visiting Fellows Program

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosts about 60-70 Visiting Fellows at any given time for a variety of countries and backgrounds. CSIS Visiting Fellows benefit from the bipartisan, independent platform CSIS provides while CSIS benefits from the unique and diverse perspectives Visiting Fellows bring.

The Korea Chair Visiting Fellow Program welcomes motivated public and private sector professionals with research interests on any aspects of U.S.-Korea policy to join CSIS for a fixed period of study in the heart of Washington, D.C. Through their studies and experiences at CSIS, the Korea Chair Visiting Fellows will be able to build the lasting networks and knowledge critical to the future foundation of the alliance.

Program Benefits

The Visiting Fellows have valuable opportunities to meet with policymakers, government officials and world class experts through access to all public events hosted by the Korea Chair and other programs at CSIS. Visiting Fellows are also encouraged to enjoy the benefit of attending countless conferences held elsewhere in Washington, D.C.

The Visiting Fellows are provided with a CSIS identification card, a CSIS email account, CSIS business cards, and other privileges. The Visiting Fellows can also request informal feedback from and interviews with CSIS experts, schedules permitting. Visiting Fellows can request administrative support offered by the Korea Chair.

Program Information

The Korea Chair offers Resident Visiting Fellowships with the option to choose between a private office, shared office, or a shared workstation (for multiple fellows to share).

Program Cost: The program cost includes workspace rent, J visa facilitation, CSIS email account, computer, printing cost, and program administration. Visiting Fellows should ideally be sponsored by their home institutions for a “sabbatical” period of study in the United States.

Program Period: The Visiting Fellows Programs at CSIS are for a period of one year. However, the length of stay can be adjusted upon the Visiting Fellow’s request.

For more information, please contact our office at KoreaChair@csis.org.

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Yun-Hee Do began her fellowship with the Office of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in December 2025. She has worked at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the Republic of Korea for 18 years, with extensive experience in defense industry policy, international cooperation, and future acquisition strategies. She has served as director of the Standard Planning Division (2020), the Defense Industry Job Creation Division (2021), the Policy Coordination Division (2024), and as Defense Cooperation Officer at the Export-Import Bank of Korea (2022). Most recently, she served as director for defense acquisition future strategy, overseeing policies on defense AI, semiconductors, and the defense industrial ecosystem. She holds a BA in social studies from Ewha Womans University, completed MPA. coursework at Seoul National University, and earned an MA in public administration from the University of York, United Kingdom.

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Soonjeong Hong began his fellowship with the Office of the Korea Chair at CSIS in January 2025. He has worked at the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea for 19 years. Most recently, he served as Director of the International Policy Division. Prior to that, he was dispatched to the Office of the President of the Republic of Korea, and also served as Director of the Cyber Policy Division. He holds a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Seoul National University and a master’s degree in public administration from Indiana University.

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Taebaek Kang began his fellowship with the Office of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in December 2025. He has worked for the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea for 10 years, with expertise in defense IT policy, cybersecurity, and organizational management. Most recently, he served as senior deputy director in the Organization Management Division, leading organizational restructuring efforts for subordinate agencies within the ministry to optimize functional performance in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. His previous roles include director of the Administrative Innovation Division and deputy team leader of the Cyber Threat Response and Technology team, where he advanced digital transformation and cybersecurity initiatives across the defense sector. He is currently focused on reforming military organizational structures to adapt to the emerging AI-enabled security environment.

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Jin-Soo Kim began his fellowship with the Office of the Korea Chair at CSIS in September 2025. He has been with the Presidential Security Service (PSS) of the Republic of Korea for more than 18 years, bringing expertise in presidential protection and national security operations. He has served across key divisions—including Close Protection, Security Measures, and Security Intelligence—where he has overseen critical planning, coordination, and execution of protective missions. Mr. Kim has managed high-level security operations during Korean presidential visits to nearly 50 countries and state visits to Korea, leading interagency collaboration among police, military, fire, and maritime authorities under the Presidential Security Act. Drawing on his extensive field leadership, he focuses on strengthening executive protection systems and offers both operational and policy-level perspectives on evolving global security and counterterrorism challenges. 

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Young Il Kim began his fellowship with the Office of the Korea Chair at CSIS in August 2024. He has worked at the National Assembly Secretariat of the Republic of Korea for 23 years. Most recently, he served as Staff Director of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly. Prior to that, he served as Senior Legislative Counsel at the National Assembly. Also, he worked at the ROK Embassy in Washington, D.C., as Minister-Counselor, supporting parliamentary diplomacy between the U.S. Congress and the National Assembly of ROK. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Seoul National University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Missouri.

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LTC Jaewook “Jay” Lee began his fellowship with the Office of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in November 2025. He is an Operation Enduring Freedom/global war on terrorism veteran and a Special Forces–qualified officer. He has also served as a functional area (strategist) officer, with experience in the Republic of Korea (ROK)–U.S. Combined Forces Command and the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff. As an author, his most recent publication is Comprehensive Analysis of Conventional-Nuclear Integration of the United States, published in October 2024.

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Dr. Jaegeum Lim began his fellowship with the Office of the Korea Chair at CSIS in August 2025. He has worked for the Korean National Assembly (KNA) for 23 years. Most recently, he served as a Staff Director for the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Oceans, and Fisheries of the KNA. In this role, he provided bipartisan analysis and recommendations concerning legislative bills. His previous position also included serving as a Staff Director for the Standing Committee on Environment and Labor. Earlier, he was a visiting fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA). He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Texas A&M University, an M.A. in Public Policy from the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, and a B.A. in Economics from Seoul National University.