Julie Turner is an American diplomat who has served as acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. She had served as special envoy on North Korean human rights issues in the United States Department of State.
Education Turner earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University and a Master of Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Career A career diplomat, Turner served in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs for 16 years. She recently served as director of the Office of East Asia and the Pacific in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and was director for Southeast Asia at the United States National Security Council.
North Korea Envoy Nomination On January 23, 2023, President Joe Biden nominated Turner as Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues. Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 17, 2023. The committee favorably reported her nomination to the Senate floor on June 1, 2023. Her nomination was confirmed by the full United States Senate via voice vote on July 27, 2023.
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