Kim Hyun-jong (Korean: ???, Hanja: ???, born 27 September 1959 in Seoul) is a former minister for trade in the Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in administration, and is currently deputy national security advisor to the President Moon.From May 2003, the very beginning of the Roh administration, as the deputy minister for trade and later the minister for trade, he was one of the most central figures in Roh administration's trade policy for more than 4 years.
In particular, he initiated numerous free trade agreement(FTA) plans or talks with Canada, India (CEPA), Mexico, MERCOSUR, GCC, Singapore, EFTA, ASEAN, and United States.
The FTAs with Singapore, EFTA, ASEAN, and USA had been signed before he moved to UN.
These 4 blocks and Chile(the first nation with which South Korean signed FTA) compose 25.78% of all South Korean trade(according to data in 2006).
Moreover, he lead the re-negotiation of the KORUS FTA when he became the first trade minister for President Moon.
He also took various roles representing South Korean government at the WTO, UN and APEC.
Moreover, he previously worked for Milbank LLP, Skadden, Yoon & Yang LLC (then-Kim Shin & Yu) and Samsung Electronics.
He taught international trade at South Korean universities - Hongik University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
He holds three degrees from Columbia University: B.A.