Lieutenant General In-Bum Chun (Ret, ROK Army) is a highly decorated military leader who dedicated nearly four decades of his life to serving South Korea. He retired from active service in 2016, capping off a distinguished career that began in 1978 at the Korea Military Academy.

Throughout his military career, Chun held numerous leadership positions. These roles included Chief of the Election Support Branch in the Civil-Military Affairs/Strategic Operations Directorate of the Multinational Forces in Iraq, Director of U.S. Affairs at the ROK Ministry of National Defense, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff of Operations for the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command, senior member of the UNCMAC, Commander of the ROK Special Warfare Command and Deputy Commander for the First ROK Army.

His service has been recognized with multiple awards, including three U.S. Legions of Merit, the U.S. Bronze Star Medal and the USSOCOM Medal. Post-military, Chun’s expertise in national defense and security policy has led him to serve as a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asia Policy Studies, a visiting researcher at the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University and a visiting fellow at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Tech.

Chun is a senior fellow with the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) and Vice President of the U.S. Air and Space Forces Association (AFA) MIG Alley Chapter. He also serves on the advisory boards of the National Bureau of Asian Research, Asia Society, Global SOF Foundation, Global American Business Institute and the Korean Modelers Association. Additionally, he is a senior contributor for the Asia Society Korea and a fellow with the Institute of Corea American Studies.

Beyond his military and defense roles, Chun is a passionate advocate for animal rights, serving as a board member for the Korean Animal Welfare Association. Chun is also active on social media as a military analyst. He maintains a YouTube channel where he shares insights on defense and security issues, focusing particularly on South Korea and Northeast Asia.

Read Chun In-bum’s latest articles here.