Dongyoun Cho

Dongyoun Cho is an army major in the South Korean Ministry of National Defense. She also served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a project manager of the NAPCI (The Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative) Task Force. NAPCI engages in meaningful work building trust and initiating cooperation among participating nations in Northeast Asia that are fraught with tension, shedding light on the multifaceted dimensions of national security policies, including issues such as nuclear safety, energy security, environmental protection, climate change, disaster relief, and drug trafficking. While the South Korean army is still mainly focused on war and weapons-based security, Dongyoun’s own experience during peacekeeping operations in Iraq has taught her that the traditional concept of security is not enough to ensure peace and stability. Through her 17 years of military experience collaborating with governmental, national, and regional entities, Dongyoun hopes to contribute to promoting sustainable peace by addressing the root causes of violent conflict in the Korean peninsula in the foreseeable future. Dongyoun earned an M.P.A. degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.