The Korea America Friendship Society awarded Hyeon Hong-ju, a corporate lawyer at Kim & Chang Law Firm, the Korea America Friendship Award on Tuesday at the “2012 Korea America Friendship Night,” which was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hannam-dong, Seoul.

Hyeon was awarded for fostering Korea-U.S. relations in parliament, administration and academia through his work as ambassador to the United States in 1991. He was also recognized for his involvement in the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement effectuated in March, and working as a consultant for American businesses invested in Korea as a corporate lawyer.

Hyeon had served as a prosecutor in 1978, and worked as a North Korea policy chief at the Central Intelligence Agency in 1979. He also worked at National Security Planning as deputy head, and then held successive posts as minister at the Office of Legislation and as Korean Ambassador to the U.N. He was also a national constituency politician for the Democratic Justice Party.

The Korea America Friendship Society is a non-profit organization established in June 1991, and works to promote and foster close relations with the United States. They have awarded the Korea America Friendship Award annually since 2002.

By Sang Youn-joo (sangyj@heraldcorp.com)