Kyu-Dok Hong is a professor in the Department of Political Science and International at Sookmyung Women’s University where he has taught international relations and ROK’s national security strategy since 1993. After graduating from Korea University in 1980, he served for Brigadier General Robert W. Pointer, Jr at the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command for two years to complete obligatory military services. With the stewardship of Ambassador Richard L. Walker, then Ambassador to ROK, he went to South Carolina to continue his graduate studies and received his Master's and Doctoral degrees in international relations from the University of South Carolina in 1991. After returning home, He became a professor at the Sookmyung Women’s University in 1993 and has spent 28 years as an educator and administrator until today. Dr. Hong became the first civilian deputy minister for defense reform during the Lee Myung-bak Government (2009-2013) and has advised various government officials and services in the military since then. He is still active in leading the academic community as the President of the International Policy Studies Institute of Korea (IPSI-KOR), the President of the Korean Academic Association of Homeland Security (KAAHS), the Chairperson of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific-Korea (CSCAP-Korea). Recently, he spent his efforts building a security sector governance (SSG)network with regional partners as a regional associate of the Geneva-based think tank DCAF in East Asia. Professor Hong visited the EU and France as a member of President Yoon’s special envoy to the EU from June 5-11, 2020. As an advisor to the ROK-US Alliance Foundation, he strongly commits himself to the education of the next generation to continue the proud spirit of the alliance for peace, prosperity, and security and for maximizing the alliance interests."