현재 한라대학교 석좌교수 겸 동북아경제연구원 원장. 서울대 정치학과를 졸업하고 통일원에서 공직생활을 시작하여 국무총리실, 주노르웨이대사관, 대통령비서실 등에서 근무했다. 대통령 통일비서관과 남북회담 상근대표, 제14대 통일부 차관을 역임했다. 공직생활 후에는 현대아산 대표이사로 재직했다. 경남대학교에서 북한학 석사와 정치학 박사학위를 취득했다.

A chair professor at Halla University and the Representative of the Halla University Northeast Asian Economic Research Institute(HINER). After graduating from the Department of Political Science at Seoul National University, he started his public career at the Ministry of National Unification and worked at the Prime Minister's Office, the Embassy of Norway, and the Presidential Secretariat. He served as Presidential Secretary for unification, Standing Representative for South-North Dialogue of Unification Ministry, and the 14th Vice Minister of Unification. After serving in public office, he served as President & CEO of Hyundai Asan Corporation of Hyundai Group. He earned a master's degree in North Korean studies and a doctorate in political science from Kyungnam University.