He was Minister of Unification of South Korea from January 2009 til August 2011.

Hyun previously served on the presidential transition committee for President Lee Myung-bak.

He was one of the main designers of the Lee Myung-bak administration’s policy toward North Korea, “Vision 3000: Denuclearization and Openness” initiative.

Before his appointment as the Minister of Unification, Hyun held a position of professor of political science and international relations at Korea University where he received his B.A.

He holds a Ph.D. in international politics from the University of California, Los Angeles.