The Research Institute for National Security Affairs (RINSA), affiliated with the Korea National Defense University (KNDU), was established in February 1972 as the first research institution in Korea dedicated to national security. Throughout the Cold War and post-Cold War periods, RINSA has played a vital role in supporting the formulation of national security policies. It has fulfilled this mission by publishing security-related journals and research papers, organizing domestic and international academic conferences, and providing policy recommendations to security-related agencies such as the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Today, the global and regional security environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula is more complex and severe than ever. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine―despite its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council―has escalated into broader strategic implications, including a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between Russia and North Korea, and reports of North Korean military involvement in the Kursk region. These developments have heightened instability not only in Europe but also on the Korean Peninsula. Meanwhile, China's military buildup and increased activities in the South China Sea and around Taiwan pose significant challenges to the Indo-Pacific order led by our ally, the United States. Most notably, North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities―coupled with its newly declared doctrine of a “Two Hostile States” approach toward South Korea―are amplifying uncertainty in the Peninsula’s security architecture. In the face of these multifaceted threats, RINSA will continue to carry out the following key roles: First, we will actively propose forward-looking national security and defense policy alternatives, while maintaining close coordination with key institutions such as the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Second, we will strengthen our security research network through active engagement with both domestic and international scholars. Third, we will enhance global understanding of Korea’s security policies by collaborating with leading international security research institutions and by serving as a hub for mutual policy cooperation. Fourth, we will ensure that the insights and outcomes from our research and exchanges are shared widely and incorporated into the educational curricula of KNDU and other national defense training programs. We aspire to be a trusted research institute that offers reliable policy alternatives whenever questions or concerns arise regarding Korea’s national security