Jihoon Yu

Director of External Cooperation/ Associate Research Fellow Korea Institute for Defense Analyses

Jihoon Yu is a director of external relations and associate research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. Jihoon served in the ROK Navy for 27 years as a surface warfare and submarine officer, significantly contributing to South Korea’s maritime security and naval strategic planning during his tenure. Jihoon was a member of the ROK Navy’s task force on the CVX light aircraft carrier project and KSS-III class submarines acquisition project. He was also a professor of military strategy at the ROK Naval Academy. His areas of expertise include International Security, the ROK-US alliance, Inter-Korean relations, ROK-Europe security cooperation, maritime security, naval strategy, force development, Modern Technology in Military and Society. He is the main author of the ROK Navy’s “Navy Vision 2045.”

He contributed to a number of major outlets, including the Diplomat, the National Interest, Real Clear Defense, USNI Proceedings, War on the Rocks, the Strategist, National Defense, the Defense Post, NK News, and Korea Pro. He received an achievement award from Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies of the US for contributing to the development of the ROK-US maritime security cooperation. He received BA in International Relations from the ROK Naval Academy, MA in National Security Affairs from the US Naval Postgraduate School, and PhD in Political Science from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He is also currently serving as a policy advisor for the Korea Polar Research Institute and the ROK Navy Maritime Warfare Center

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

International Relations, International & National Security, International Conflict, Civil-Military Relations, Maritime Security, Naval Strategy, Foreign Policy Decision-Making Process, ROK-US alliance, ROK-Europe security cooperations, Inter-Korean relations, Modern Technology in Military and Society, Defense Planning, Crisis-management, Force Structure & Development.

EDUCATION

PhD in Political Science from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, 2014 MA in National Security Affairs from the US Naval Postgraduate School, 2007 MA in International Relations from the Korea National Defense University, 2006 BA in International Relations from the Republic of Korea Naval Academy, 2000