North Korea. China. Nuclear threats. AI. Cybersecurity. Defense. The future of America’s alliances. South Korea stands on the front lines of today’s biggest security challenges.
As Korea emerges as a major defense, technology, and economic power, it is also navigating one of the most complex security environments in the world. The choices Korea makes – and the forces shaping the region – could have consequences far beyond the Peninsula.
H.E. Kang Kyung-wha, Ambassador of Korea to the U.S. and 38th Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs, joins Roy Kamphausen for a conversation on Korea, power, and security – and what comes next.
Join us for the opening event of the 2026 Global Security Forum: Fault Lines, with a reception featuring light Korean bites.
The Details
Thursday, September 24 | 5:30pm-7pm
World Affairs Council, Café, Hartford
Tickets: $20 Members | $30 General Admission | No charge for Students & Educators
This is the opening event of the 2026 Global Security Forum Series: Fault Lines. where leaders, policymakers, strategists, and experts reveal the pressures reshaping global security - and the choices that will define what comes next.
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Featuring
H.E. Kang Kyung-wha
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the U.S.
Her Excellency Kang, Kyung-wha was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the United States of America by President Lee, Jae Myung in October, 2025.
Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Kang served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2017-2021 under President Moon, Jae-in. Between April 2024 and September 2025, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Asia Society in New York.
During her varied and distinguished career in public service, Ambassador Kang served as Secretary for International Relations in the Office of the Speaker of the Korean National Assembly and as Senior Advisor and Principal Speechwriter to the Foreign Minister and Principal Interpreter to the President of Korea.
She was also Director-General for International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea. At the United Nations, she was Deputy High Commissioner at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Chief of the Transition Team for the 9th United Nations Secretary-General-elect and later his Senior Advisor on Policy.
Earlier in her career, Ambassador Kang worked for the English Section of Radio Korea International of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), served as Assistant Professor at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio and was active in several women’s organizations in Korea. She was affiliated with Ewha Women’s University as Distinguished Professor Emeritus (Sept. 2022 - Feb. 2023) and is Honorary Professor at the Institute for Global Engagement and Empowerment at Yonsei University since September, 2023.
Ambassador Kang has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Studies from Yonsei University, and both a Master’s Degree and Doctorate in International/Intercultural Communication from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is married with three children.
Moderated By
Roy Kamphausen
Special Advisor to the President and Senior Fellow for Chinese Security, The National Bureau of Asian Research
Roy D. Kamphausen is a retired president of the National Bureau of Asian Research, where he now serves Senior Fellow for Chinese Security.
Mr. Kamphausen combines analytical and policy experience on the national security dimensions of U.S.-China Strategic Competition and U.S. relations with allies in the Asia-Pacific. He was China policy director in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a political-military strategist for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a military attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. He was a Commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission for two terms. He has led the principal international conference on the PLA for the last 21 years. He has co-edited fourteen volumes in the People’s Liberation Army Conference series, in partnership with U.S. Pacific Command.
Mr. Kamphausen holds a BA in Political Science from Wheaton College and an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University.
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The World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.
