KIM Sang Bum graduated from Dongguk University with a degree in North Korean Studies, earned a Master's in East Asian Areal Studies from the University of Southern California, and completed a Ph.D. in North Korean Studies at Dongguk University. His research primarily focuses on North Korean politics, the diplomacy of small states during the Cold War, and inter-Korean relations. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor and director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, Kyungnam University, and holds a concurrent appointment as a faculty member in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy. His major publications include “Analyses of the implementation and assessment of the political directives from the 8th Party Congress” (2025), “Studies on North Korea’s nuclear program and shifts in political authority” (2024), and “North Korea’s Aid to Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis” (2022).