Dr. James M. Minnich is an academic, author, and retired U.S. Army Colonel with in-depth experiences in Northeast Asia since 1982, including 15 years of duty in Korea. He is a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies where he previously served as Associate Dean, Senior Military Professor, and Senior Military Officer before retiring in 2019 as a U.S. Army Colonel after 37 years of active duty. Dr. Minnich chairs the Center’s Northeast Asia Group and Women, Peace and Security Group, and manages the Indo-Pacific Orientation Course. Dr. Minnich has had extensive operational deployments and travels throughout Asia and in-depth professional experiences in Northeast Asia since 1982, including 15 years of duty in South Korea.

Dr. Minnich’s military assignments include Secretary of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission in Seoul, Korea, where for 3-years he led a multinational organization that negotiated and supervised armistice compliance on the Korean peninsula. As Director of the Afghanistan Program at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency for 2-years, he led the analyses, policy formulation and program execution of a $33Bn defense program that equipped, trained and sustained the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). As Acting Director/Deputy of the Security Assistance Office at NATO Training Mission Afghanistan in Kabul, Afghanistan for 1-year, he led four joint divisions in the management and execution of $45 billion that equipped, armed and sustained the ANSF. As Deputy Chief/Director of Policy and Operations, Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group Korea in Seoul, Korea for 2-years, he supervised U.S. security cooperation policies, operations, and foreign military sales. As Policy Branch Chief, U.S. Forces Korea in Seoul, Korea for 2-years, he planned, developed and implemented political-military policy on the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia.

Dr. Minnich earned a Doctorate of Education from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA; Artium Magister Degree in Regional Studies-East Asia from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge, MA; Master of Science in Military Arts and Sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, KS; and a graduate diploma in Korean Language Studies from Sogang University’s Center for Korean Studies in Seoul, Korea. He is a 2009 distinguished honor graduate from the Korean National Defense University in Seoul, Korea; and 2001 graduate of the Korean Army College in Taejon, Korea. His doctoral dissertation was “Societal Violence Against Woman and National Insecurity: An Evaluation Study on Teaching a Gendered Security Perspective.”

In 2016, the Republic of Korea President awarded him the Samil National Security Merit Medal for long, substantive service in Korea’s defense. Military awards: Defense Superior Service Medal (2 awards), Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2), Army Meritorious Service Medal (2), Army Commendation Medal (5), Joint Service Achievement Medal (2), Army Achievement Medal (8), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Overseas Ribbon (11) and NATO Non-Article 5 Medal.

Publications include: “Arms Buildup between Two Koreas Heightens Risk of Conventional and Nuclear War” NK Pro (Oct 25, 2021). “Denuclearization through Peace: A Policy Approach to Change North Korea from Foe to Friend.” Military Review 100 no. 6 (Nov. 2020), 13-27. “The Future of the Republic of Korea and United States Alliance: Fix It or Lose It,” in Hindsight, Insight, Foresight: Thinking about Security in the Indo-Pacific, ed. A. Vuving, 253-268, Honolulu, APCSS, 2020.

“Societal Violence against Women and National Insecurity: The Need for Gendered Security,” in Hindsight, Insight, Foresight, ed. A. Vuving, 67-88, Honolulu, APCSS, 2020. “North Korea’s ruling dynasty will continue, with Kim Yo-jong next in line,” The Telegraph, Apr 30, 2020.  “North Korea Solution: Changed Regime” in Military Review, 2018; “A Política em Relação à Coreia do Norte” in Military Review 1(73), 2018; “La política hacia Corea del Norte” in Military Review 73(2), 2018; “Changed Regime: A Policy to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Crisis” in Military Power Revue, Dec 2017; “North Korea Policy: Changed Regime” in Military Review, 97(6), 2017; “The Year Twenty Twelve: South Korea’s Resumption of Wartime Operational Control” in Military Review, 91(3), 2011; “National Security” in North Korea: A Country Study, U.S. GPO, 2008; North Korean People’s Army: Origins and Current Tactics, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2005; “Resolving the North Korean Nuclear Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities in Readjusting the U.S.-ROK Alliance,” in ROK Turning Point, ed. A.Y. Mansourov (Honolulu: APCSS, 2005), Chap 14; The Denuclearization of North Korea: The Agreed Framework and Alternative Options Analyzed, Bloomington, Indiana: First Books Library, 2002; “The Denuclearization of North Korea: A Critical Analysis of the 1994 Agreed Framework,” The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis 14(2), fall 2002.

Dr. Minnich’s Publications

External Publications

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