Student Profile: Miles Kim, MPP Class of 2024

When Miles Kim, MPP Class of 2024, was young, his father would take him to protests in his hometown of Gwangju, South Korea. “My father had been a journalist for more than 30 years, so naturally he instilled in me the importance of being socially and politically aware.” Some of the protests Kim said he remembers most vividly were in 2006, when the United States and South Korea were negotiating the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (also known as KORUS FTA).

“Even though I was just a boy, it left a great impression on me,” Kim said. “I learned how much social policies can affect people’s lives and the importance of coming up with the right policy at the right time.”

After finishing his freshman year in Korea University, Kim joined Korea’s Marine Corps, where he worked in the Defense Security Command—the division of the Korean military responsible for counter espionage and intelligence operations. Kim said his group was working on contingency plans for the new president, but he thought that certain aspects of these contingencies were not grounded in data.

“It taught me that central authorities have to ground their projects in data and analysis,” Kim said. “However, it seemed politicians were more concerned with potentially losing power than with crafting informed policy.”

After nearly two years in the military, Kim returned to Korea University, where he graduated in the spring of 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies.  “International studies was a clear choice for me: I appreciate how the politics of the Korean Peninsula—as well as in the surrounding region—impacts the day-to-day lives of South Koreans.”

While an undergraduate student, Kim interned for the country’s National Assembly as a Legislative Research Assistant. He then went on to work on the 2022 presidential campaign as both a Data Analyst and Special Advisor for the Democratic Party of Korea, focusing on voter turnout and messaging efforts.

“The analysis did not point to a favorable outcome for the party,” Kim said, “but it was ultimately hard to explain to legislators exactly what my work meant. I was unable to convince them to change course and, unfortunately, the unfavorable outcome my findings predicted came to fruition."

After completing his bachelor’s, Kim began looking at graduate programs in the United States. “A former professor told me that a degree in public policy would provide tangible skills that would allow me to either pursue a PhD or enter the job market, and given my interests in politics, society, and policy, I thought attending public policy school would also allow me to explore my interests even further,” Kim said.

“A friend recommended Harris, and I was immediately struck by the diversity of the student body. The prospect was both frightening and thrilling: frightening because there are so many bright students from around the world and thrilling because I can learn so much through this experience,” Kim said. “So far, I am enjoying the challenge and appreciating the support systems available at Harris."

After Harris, Kim plans to pursue a PhD in Public Policy. “I want to take an economic and data approach to international relations and apply this interdisciplinary view to address issues on the Korean Peninsula. Although I aspire to work in academia, I think my first step is working for an economic research organization to get a different perspective on the problems facing the region.”