Myung Jung Kim

*First name pronounced like 'young' with 'M' (Myung) and 'young' with 'J' (Jung)

Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Iowa, specializing in the intersection of international law and armed conflict.

My research aims to explain how the domestic and international legal landscapes evolve and influence combatant behaviors, conflict processes and outcomes, and the accountability of culpable actors for crimes committed during conflicts. Specifically, I explore three main areas: 1) the conditions under which domestic and international law constrain the war behaviors of state and non-state actors and affect war outcomes; 2) the circumstances under which responsible actors face or evade punishment for crimes during conflicts; and 3) the role of external actors, international organizations, and civil society organizations in these processes. 

My broader research interests encompass topics such as international law and organizations, (internationalized) civil wars, leader accountability,  transitional justice, and transborder justice.

I use a range of methods—quantitative analysis of large-scale observational data, interviews, and case studies—to explore how international law and conflict shape political interactions. I am particularly dedicated to creating original data to best answer my research questions.

I hold a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a B.S. in Economics, with a minor in Statistics, from Purdue University. Prior to academia, I was a research associate at the Korea Institute of National Unification.