Washington, DC – Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today enthusiastically endorsed the nomination of former committee staff director Robert R. King to be the U.S. Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, with the rank of Ambassador.

“Bob King is an extraordinarily capable individual with a long track record in shaping U.S. foreign policy,” Berman said. “Through the years he has worked diligently on behalf of human rights, and was instrumental in establishing and supervising the congressional human rights commission in Congress named for the late Tom Lantos, the former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He visited North Korea with Mr. Lantos, worked on ensuring the passage of milestone legislation concerning the ongoing human rights situation there, and is well-versed in the issues affecting the region. And I know from the work he did on behalf of the committee during the year of transition after Mr. Lantos’ passing that he will be an exemplary ambassador for the United States.”

King worked on Capitol Hill for 25 years, 24 of them as Chief of Staff to Congressman Lantos. He was concurrently Staff Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives (2007-2008), Democratic Staff Director of the Committee (2001-2007) and held various professional staff positions on the Committee since 1993. After Lantos’ death, King continued as Committee staff director for Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-CA) for one year. Before coming to Capitol Hill, King served on the National Security Council Staff as a White House Fellow during the Carter Administration and as Assistant Director of Research and Analysis at Radio Free Europe in Munich, Germany. The author of five books, King has also taught courses in U.S. foreign policy and international relations at the University of Southern California German Study Program, Brigham Young University Study Abroad, American University in Washington, D.C., New England College, and other institutions.