By Adele Bergstrom, CMC ’05
This interview was conducted in April 2003.

Academic Citation: Adele Bergstrom, "An Interview with Dr. Chong-Wook Chung," Kravis Leadership Institute Leadership Review, Summer 2003.

Dr. Chong-Wook Chung served as the Korean Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China from February 1996 to April 1998, focusing on bilateral economic and trade issues. Following a two-year term as Senior Secretary to the President for Foreign Policy and National Security, he was appointed as Ambassador-at-large for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995. From 1988-92, he was chosen as a member of the Korean Presidential Commission for the 21st century, a group of scholars and experts addressing national unification, foreign policy and national security in their research.

Chung earned a master’s degree in international studies and a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University. He is currently a professor of political science at Ajou University in Suwon, Korea. Some of his publications include Korean Options in a Changing International Order (1993), and Maoism and Development: The Politics of Industrial Management in the People’s Republic of China (1980). During the spring 2003 semester, he taught Topics in U.S. Relations with Asia to Claremont McKenna College students as the Freeman Foundation Visiting Professor of Asian Affairs. He served as a fellow for the Keck Center for International Strategic Studies at CMC from 1985-1986.

Question: Leadership Review What type of communication skills are necessary when working multiculturally?

Answer: Dr. Chong-Wook Chung Language proficiency and understanding the culture are the most important skills of communication for a diplomat. Language, as you know, is not merely a tool of expression. It is deeply rooted in the culture. Unless you understand the culture, you cannot expect to master the language. Also, understanding the history (say, of China) as well as the current situations will greatly help your communication skills. As a diplomat, you need to have a background in the global economy, have a nice and prudent personality, and never get angry or impatient. Also, it is important to have exposure to many different leadership styles in order to develop your own leadership skills.

Q: How does the use of interpreters affect leadership and communication skills?

A: The use of an interpreter is customary in official diplomatic activities, particularly in China, as I experienced. It is a diplomatic practice to do so for the purpose of accuracy and record. But in private conversation or one-on-one conversation, it is inevitable to speak in the native language (Chinese). In many diplomatic negotiations, private and one-on-one conversation becomes a turning point or provides a breakthrough.

Q: Can you comment on the role of personal psychology as it relates to or influences political decision-making?

A: Leaders, after all, are human beings and their personality inevitably affects the decisions in whose making they participate. In many cases, leaders have strong personalities; that is exactly what made them leaders. Explaining the many decisions Mao has made, for instance, cannot be sufficiently explained without examining his personality, his values, and his psychological idiosyncrasies.

Q: You're working on a book about Zhou Enlai. What characterizes his leadership style?

A: Zhou had three women who influenced his personality in his early years. They were his natural mother, his adopted mother, and his nanny. Zhou's seriousness, dedication, and skill of association came from these three women. However, motivations for many of his leadership decisions are mysterious. I have been collecting materials on him for a while, as I try to understand this “man of mystery” as a person and a leader.

Q: What is your assessment of current Chinese leaders and the nuclear issue with North Korea?

A: The current Chinese leadership, as it has emerged this March, is young, pragmatic, and nationalistic. The new leaders are, in other words, bureaucratic technocrats. They will continue to pursue market-oriented reform and open policy with a strong leaning toward the West, perhaps even more vigorously than under the previous leadership. But the challenges are also enormous, the most important of which may be the increasing demand for political liberalization.

As to the North Korean nuclear issue, I will mention a few points. First, the nuclear issue is potentially the most serious issue threatening the peace and stability of East Asia, if not the whole world. Second, North Korea is one of, if not the most, difficult countries to deal with. It is unpredictable, often appearing irrational and even willing to engage in brinkmanship tactics. Already, the U.S. has agreed to meet with North Korea and China this spring in Beijing. In fact, I personally believe that there is no issue that cannot be resolved by diplomacy.

Q: It is good to hear a hopeful perspective. Thank you for your time.

A: Thank you.