Kun A. “Tony” Namkung was described recently by the Christian Science Monitor as a “mysterious Korean-American" who "plays a behind-the-scenes role that may be more significant than that of the better known actors in the drama.”

Indeed, as a back-channel, so-called “Track II” negotiator who advises senior U.S. delegations on North Korean affairs, Namkung, a longtime confidant of former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, has been a central figure in a host of dramatic episodes, including helping to secure the release of journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, imprisoned by North Korea for “illegal entry” in 2009.