South Korea

This article was published in The Korea Times on June 12, 2024. In the wake of rapprochement between Korea and Japan, much of the focus has been on the strengthening…

This article was published in The Korea Times on April 10, 2024. In March, Russia vetoed a routine resolution to extend the mandate of the U.N. Panel of Experts. Moscow’s…

KEI President Scott Snyder was interviewed by the Voice of America Korean Service for the “Washington Talk” show. This video was published in Voice of America on March 30, 2024.  …

This article was published in The Diplomat on March 30, 2024. Nowadays conversations with South Korean counterparts begin and end with concerns about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s possible return…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz A year of transitions finishes in historic fashion as South Korea elects Park Geun-hye as its first female president. Her election capped off a series of democratic presidential elections that featured nicely at the beginning and end of this year of transitions, leading off with Ma Ying-jeou winning reelection in Taiwan. Yet…

By Clare Hubbard One indicator of the difficulty that North Korean defectors have in assimilating to life in South Korea is crime statistics. The crime rate among North Korean defectors in South Korea is more than twice that of the country’s overall crime rate of 4.3%.  Defectors are also five times more likely to fall…

By Greg Scarlatoiu Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming December 19 presidential elections in South Korea, there will likely be changes in Seoul’s approach to North Korea. Since the shooting of South Korean tourist Park Wang-ja at Mount Kumgang in July 2008, inter-Korean exchanges have subsided, and inter-Korean tensions have been further exacerbated by…

Below are the key findings from the surveys conducted by Research and Research in November and December. Where applicable, dates the survey was conducted are in brackets. The presidential race between Park Geun-Hye and Moon Jae-In remained tight. As of December 12, 43.4% support Park, while 41.9% support Moon. Following Ahn Cheol-Soo’s exit from the…