Nayun Kim is a Political Science Ph.D. student majoring in Comparative Politics and Political Methodology. Her research interest lies in authoritarian regimes, democratization, and authoritarian backsliding in new democracies. She is currently working on projects focusing on the opposition's strategic response to the state repression in authoritarian regimes and the factors shaping different trajectories of new democracies.

Before joining OSU, she received her M.A. in Political Science and B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Korea University. She is a 2021 Fulbright Graduate Student Program grantee.