Digital Library

South Korea’s USD 350 billion investment pledge in the United States, centered on shipbuilding, battery, and semiconductor projects, was meant to strengthen U.S.-Korea industrial cooperation. Instead, it has amplified familiar questions about overdependency that middle powers such as Korea must confront as U.S.-China competition intensifies. China’s retaliation against Hanwha Ocean following its USD 150 billion…

South Korea’s agreement to invest USD 350 billion in the United States marks the final step in securing a 15 percent tariff rate on Korean auto and auto-part exports, avoiding the steeper Section 232 rate of 25 percent. Announced after a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of…

The omission of digital trade from the announcement of the provisional U.S.-South Korea trade deal in July underscores a growing fault line in bilateral relations. While the deal focused on tariffs and investment, it left unresolved Washington’s mounting concerns over Seoul’s proposed digital regulations targeting U.S. tech companies. These policy differences reflect a broader global…

The Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) led a delegation to visit Grand Rapids, Michigan, from September 30 to October 2, hosted by the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. The trip was the fifth and final Future of Korea (FOK) program KEI held this year to foster greater public understanding and appreciation of South…

The Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) recently led a delegation to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to explore the city’s evolving role within the U.S.-South Korea relationship and engage with the local business, academic, and civic communities. Perhaps best known for its history, culture, and sports teams, Philadelphia is also emerging as a dynamic twenty-first-century hub for…

The recently signed U.S.–Japan investment memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishes a new framework for how Washington structures trade and investment relations with its allies. Announced alongside the implementation of the U.S.–Japan trade deal, the MOU allocates USD 550 billion for Japanese investments in the United States and lays down procedures for how those funds will…

North Korea’s celebrations marking the eightieth anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) were a fireworks-filled spectacle with high-profile Chinese, Russian, and other foreign officials in attendance. The centerpiece of this year’s military parade was the newly unveiled Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, described as the nation’s “most powerful nuclear strategic weapon…

The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit was intended to showcase South Korea’s claim to leadership on a range of issues from free trade, digital and artificial intelligence, and democracy. Instead, the Lee Jae Myung administration finds itself beset by shifting geopolitical winds. A potential summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi…

The alliance between the United States and South Korea faces one of its most consequential tests in seventy-two years. Some observers believe it may be nearing its breaking point, and there is growing concern in both capitals that the existing framework is no longer sufficient to meet the strategic demands of a far more dangerous…