CNN International Correspondent Mike Valerio is an eight-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who reports on the dynamic array of cultural, political, and economic stories across Mainland China and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Mike began his tenure with CNN International in South Korea, filing reports from the Korean Peninsula’s Demilitarized Zone. He documented Russian President Vladimir Putin’s historic 2024 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as renewed trilateral ties between China, Japan, and South Korea.

During South Korea’s tumultuous declaration of martial law in December 2024, Mike reported from Seoul’s National Assembly as protesters confronted military vehicles and demanded the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol. In the aftermath, Mike chronicled the weeks-long standoff to arrest Yoon, the first sitting South Korean president arrested by law enforcement.

On the cultural front, Mike has captured the astounding rise of K-Pop, brought CNN behind the scenes of heartwarming Korean dramas, and even learned how viral South Korean Olympic pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji channels “main character energy.”

Mike launched his CNN career at the network’s Los Angeles bureau, where he enterprised coverage of the 2023 Maui wildfires for CNN and its global affiliates. He also reported on the Los Angeles police and sheriff’s departments, spotlighting their recruitment efforts and the courageous members of the LAPD Chaplain Corps.

Before joining CNN, Mike worked as a political and law enforcement reporter for WUSA9, the CBS News affiliate in Washington, DC. He has extensively covered the White House, election security, and the Department of Justice, focusing on the FBI, ATF, and domestic terror cases.

Mike’s investigative reporting led to WUSA9’s multi-year documentary series “Fallen and Forgotten.” The series brought to light how remains of American World War II service members are still buried on the Pacific atoll of Tarawa, often in abysmal conditions.

Following the 2008 financial crisis, Mike served as the chief researcher for the New York Times best-selling book Betrayal: The Life and Lies of Bernie Madoff.

Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from The George Washington University. He is fluent in French and is currently studying Mandarin. Mike also holds commands of Korean, Spanish, and Italian.