Hannah Byun

Major: Economics (Minor in International Relations)
 
Year: 2021
 
Hannah Byun is a Junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Economics with minors in International Relations. In addition to being a Kim Program Undergraduate Fellow, she is an intern for The Think Tanks and Civil Society Program at the Lauder Institute. Her main areas of study are in International Economics, Economic Foreign Policy, International Affairs, and National Security. Her experiences as a dual-citizen of Korea and the United States shaped her interest in international politics and economy, most specifically in East Asia.
Hannah's perceptions on how flexible she was to different cultures and her interest in Korean issues sprung when she went to North Korean defectors' church in South Korea. Through this experience, she became aware of North Korean politics and the ongoing struggle for the reunification of the Korean peninsula. Through her work at the North Korean Defector Mentoring Program, she has solidified her convictions about reunification and committed herself to continue her efforts to raise awareness. She is particularly interested in Korea's economic and diplomatic relations with the U.S., North Korea, and other countries. As an Undergraduate Fellow, she hopes to raise awareness of the Korean culture and history by helping the Penn community to explore political and social analysis.