Victor W. C. Hsu

Victor W.C. Hsu  is a member of the National Committee on North Korea.

"Victor Hsu is the National Director of the DPRK Program at World Vision International. A frequent visitor to North Korea since the 1980s, he has met high government officials on both side of the DMZ and exchanged views with them on issues of Korea Reunification and normalization of relations between the USA and North Korea. Hsu has led many US church leader delegations to North Korea and has met President Kim Il Sung and President Noh Moon-Hyun. Hsu was involved in North Korea famine relief from the outset in 1996, a role he continues to play. Prior to joining WVI, he served as Senior Advisor to the CEO of Church World Service and as liaison to the White House, the Congressional leadership and the Office of the UN Secretary General. Mr. Hsu was instrumental in setting up the Food Aid Liaison Unit of the World Food Programme in DPRK and was the first convener of the NGO Steering Committee. He was a board member of the USA PVOC-Consortium that monitored USA's contribution to the WFP Programme.

"Victor Hsu was born in Taiwan and grew up in Mauritius, near South Africa. He received his graduate school training at Yale University and Union Theological Seminary. He was Director of the Asia /Pacific Department for the National Council of Churches USA from 1987 to 2000.

"From 1976 to 1987 Hsu directed the United Nations programme of the World Council of Churches representing the WCC on the board of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO) in Consultative Status with the UN and serving as CONGO's Vice-President and First Vice-President. During this time, he was in constant contact with the office of the Secretary General and the Presidents of the annual UN General Assembly sessions.

"An expert on contemporary international issues, his leadership and expertise are often sought by civil society organizations. He has been a board member of several advocacy organizations and chaired several international roundtables. He has written extensively and is frequently invited to be a keynoter on international relations such as the role of the UN, terrorism and issues related to North East Asia.

"He provided private briefings to the leadership of US Congress on both DPRK and religious freedom in China. He was an official observer to the Philippine Peace Talks and has been received by several heads of states and governments, and well-known diplomats around the world."