Hyung-min Joo

Hyung-min Joo is a professor in the Department of Political Science & International Relations at Korea University. He received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago. Before joining Korea University, he taught at DePaul University. Since 2012, he has been a North Korea expert with the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) project. He has also served on policy advisory committees for the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His research focuses on comparative theory, communism, North Korea, the shadow economy, and power/resistance. His recent publications include “The Shadow Economy and Social Change in North Korea” in Asian Studies Review (2024), “What We Murmur Behind Their Backs: Hidden Transcripts of the North Korean Ruling Elite” in Problems of Post-Communism (2023), and “Everyday Authoritarianism in North Korea” in Europe-Asia Studies (2021).