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The morning will come when Christ Returns! Until then, let each of us be the moons that reflect the light of the sun, illuminating through the night until the dawn arrives.

• Teaching & Education

  BA in Political Science
  American University, School of Public Affairs
  Washington, DC
  2009
  Graduated magna cum laude with University Honors
  Honors Thesis: “The Lure of the Bully Pulpit: How Presidents Have Used Public Rhetoric to Generate Political Support.”

  MA in Political Science
  Fordham University
  New York City, NY
  2011
  Master’s Thesis: “Continuance and Breakdown of Democratic Coalitions in Chile and South Korea During the Democratization Period (1987-1997)”

  PhD in International Relations
  American University, School of International Service
  Washington, DC
  2023
  Dissertation Research: “To End the War, or to Keep Fighting: When Small Allies Oppose Great Power’s Strategy.”

• Professional Experience

  My research specialty includes U.S. foreign policy, South Korean politics and foreign policy, international alliances, and East Asian regional security.

  I have taught a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including Introduction to International Relations, Peace and Conflict Resolution, American Government, US Foreign Policy, Comparative Politics, East Asian Politics, European Politics, and International Organizations.

  Professional Career:

  • 2011-2014: South Korean Air Force Intelligence Officer.
  • 2014-2015: Social science and math instructor at the International Academy of Saint Petersburg (IASP) in Russia.
  • 2019-2023: Adjunct Faculty at American University School of International Service (SIS)
  • 2020-2024: Research liaison at North Korea Development Institute (NKDI)

  Interpreter Experiences:

  In the summer of 2023, I served as an interpreter for NPR’s “All Things Considered” Podcast and the International Spy Museum’s “Spy Cast” podcast, which featured interviews with North Korean defectors.

  Media Outlet Interviews:

  • TV Interview: TRT World Newsmakers (Turkey), ABC News (Australia), Al-Qahera News (Egypt)
  • Radio Interview: BBC News (UK), Channel News Asia (Singapore), The Hindu (India), WBUR Podcast
  • Newspaper Interview: Newsweek (USA), Korea Herald (Korea), Expresso (Portugal), Intern News (Ukraine), The Liberation (France), La Tribune (France), Le Soir (Belgium) Epoch Times (USA)
  • Think Tank Interview: Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies (Turkey)
• Selected Publications

  Peer-reviewed Academic Journal Publication:

  Lee, Jong Eun, Sohn Hanbyeol. “Whither Goes Russia-DPRK Partnership? Outlook through Five Scenarios” Journal of Peace and Unification 14, no.4 (2024) : 33-63 (First author)

  Lee, Jong Eun. 2025. “Reassuring Future Risks and Present Losses: The Korean War Armistice Lessons for Russia–Ukraine War Negotiations.” Comparative Strategy 44 (4): 436–59. doi:10.1080/01495933.2025.2504853. (Sole author)

  Lim, Eul-Chul, Jong Eun Lee. “Opening Pandora’s Box: Is South Korea’s Nuclearization Feasible and Desirable?” Pacific Focus (2025): 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1111/pafo.70010. (Corresponding author).

  Lee, Jong Eun, Sohn Hanbyeol. Revise and Accept. “Armistice, If You Can Keep It: How applicable is the Korean War Armistice for the Russia-Ukraine War Settlement?” Korean Journal of Security Affairs. (First Author).

  Policy Publications/Commentaries:

  The Conversation: three published articles. 
  Foreign Analysis: one published article.
  East Asia Forum: three published articles. 
  Providence Magazine: two published articles.
  19FourtyFive: one published article. 
  Responsible Statecraft: two published articles. 
  The National Interest: four published articles. 
  The Diplomat: four published articles. 
  The AsiaN: two published articles 
  Global Policy Journal: one published article

  Newspaper Op-Eds:

  The Korea Times: Monthly columnist. Fifty published articles. 
  Channel New Asia: One published article.
  Eurasia Review: Five published articles. 

• My Story

  “Born in Korea, raised in Russia, and studied in the United States” summarizes my upbringing. My family moved from South Korea to Russia as missionaries. Growing up in Saint Petersburg, I spoke Korean at home and Russian at church and studied English at an international Christian academy. I received Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate Degrees in the United States. It was a blessing to study international relations in Washington, D.C., the center of American and international politics. Now, teaching at 51�Թ�, I have three aspirations. My first aspiration is to motivate students to have an interest and passion for the events happening worldwide and study the causes and consequences of these events. My second aspiration is to encourage students to understand these international events from the lens of a Christian worldview. My third aspiration is to continue to make contributions to my field of global and East Asian security through my research and writing.