Ildo Hwang is an Associate Professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA). Before joining the KNDA, he worked as a staff reporter and research fellow at the Dong-A Ilbo Media Group for 16 years and performed research projects at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) in Stockholm, Sweden as a visiting fellow. His research interests include North Korean issues, military security, and nuclear deterrence. He has published two books about North Korean weapons of mass destruction and ROK–U.S. countermeasures. Dr. Hwang holds a Ph.D. in International Politics from Yonsei University with a dissertation regarding the strategic culture of North Korea and its military behaviors. He received an M.A. degree from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul and completed a one-year course at Russian Linguistics School, Far Eastern Federal University (Дальневосточный федеральный университет) in Vladivostok, Russia.