Charles Kim

Security researcherC4ISR systems engineer

Based in Seoul. I study how modern conflicts are fought and how they end, and I engineer C4ISR and unmanned systems for defence use.

Engineering: C4ISR systems and UAV airframe engineering for a defence contractor.
Research: MA thesis on strike range and conflict termination. Published in Small Wars Journal.
Projects: WARNINGSTAR, an autonomous security news and threat assessment feed.
Service: Combined Forces Command. Three Freedom Shield exercises. Joint Service Commendation Medal.
Community: Founder and lead of the International Security Roundtable.
Languages: English and Korean (native), Italian (intermediate), French and German (basic).

Get in touch Read the research

01Engineering

Defence systems

C4ISR systems and UAV airframe engineering for a defence contractor.

2026 – presentDefence contractor

C4ISR Systems Engineer

2026 – presentDefence contractor

UAV Airframe Engineer

Project details are shared with prospective employers. Use the access code on my CV, or get in touch and I'll share them directly.

Employer access

02Research

Thesis & publications

In progressMA thesis, International Cooperation

The Tomahawk Effect: Physical and Political Range in the Termination of Modern Conflicts

Precision guided munitions
Conflict termination
Remote warfare

Feb 2026Small Wars Journal

Failure of Economic Sanctions against MENA Hybrid Actors

Research into modernisation efforts and sanction evasion techniques by Hezbollah and the Houthis (Ansar-Allah).

Read on Small Wars Journal

Economic statecraft
Terrorism

03Projects

Personal systems

Systems I design, build and run independently.

Discord botPython, GitHub Actions

WARNINGSTAR

An autonomous security news aggregator and threat assessment system. Every hour it collects, filters and tags global security events by source, country and region, scores each one from 0 to 10 for its likely impact on regional stability, and posts it to Discord channels organised by US combatant command.

Join the WARNINGSTAR server
Add WARNINGSTAR to your server

OSINT
Threat assessment
Automation

In developmentPublic release planned

Next system

A public, production-grade system. Details at launch.

OSINT work

Open-source and geospatial investigations. New pieces are on the way and will be published here.

Toolkit

OSINT: Google Dorks, social media, custom tools
GEOINT: QGIS, Copernicus, SRTM, USGS, FIRMS, Cesium

04Military

Combined Forces Command

Military service in the combined ROK–US command, working in coordination with United States Forces Korea and United Nations Command.

Role

Liaison & interpreter

Took part in three Freedom Shield combined exercises.
Served as a liaison and interpreter within a combined ROK–US command.
Integrated a personnel information management system.

Recognition

Medal

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Awarded by the Commander, United States Forces Korea.

Letter

Letter of Commendation

From the Deputy Commander, Combined Forces Command.

05Community

International Security Roundtable

Founder & lead

An English-language forum where students, academics and industry professionals present and debate current security issues. Each semester runs as a series of themed sessions with invited speakers.

Regional security
Military doctrine
Weapons systems
Rule of law

Study visit · Oct 2025

2025 Aerospace & Defence Expo (ADEX)

Led a Roundtable study visit to the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition, sponsored by Lockheed Martin Korea.

Joint programme · Jul 2026

University × Air Force base

Organised a joint programme between the university and an air force base: an invited lecture on US–China rivalry and the Korean Peninsula for the base's commanders and personnel, followed by an operations briefing, flight simulator sessions and an aircraft tour. It grew well beyond its original scale and was covered in the local press.

Read the coverage in Chungcheong Times (Korean)

06Design