Bongkil SHIN is a South Korean diplomat currently serving as the secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat. Since joining the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1978, he was mainly involved in North Korea, China and Japan related issues as the director of the Inter-Korea Policy Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1992-1995), special advisor at the Office of Planning for the Light-Water Reactor Project (2002-2003), 1st secretary to the Korean Embassy in Tokyo, Japan (1987-1990), counselor/consul general (1996-1998) and minister (2004-2007) to the Korean Embassy in Beijing, China. His latest posts include spokesperson of the Korean Foreign Ministry (2003-2004), ambassador to Jordan (2007-2010) and ambassador for International Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2010-2011). Ambassador Shin graduated from Seoul National University. He also studied Chinese at Peking University and received an M.A. from the University of North Korean Studies in Korea.