2021 in Review: Labor Market Developments and Policies in Korea
The onslaught of COVID-19 in 2020 and the ensuing government crackdown sent shockwaves through the Korean economy, particularly its labor markets.
2021 in Review: K-pop Surviving Through the Pandemic
In many ways, K-pop in 2021 was not terribly different from K-pop in 2020: a focus on online content, with in-person shows just starting to creep back.
2021 in Review: South Korea’s Economy and COVID-19
South Korea’s economy has recovered rapidly from COVID-19 and GDP caught up with its pre-pandemic level about a year ago.
2021 in Review: U.S.-South Korea Multilateral Cooperation
The U.S.-Korea commitment to multilateral cooperation has mostly been limited to rhetoric, while tangible achievements have been slower to appear.
2021 in Review: Hope for Better Korea-Japan Relations in 2022
Pundits everywhere like to describe Seoul-Tokyo relations as at their “worst ever.” The description is great clickbait yet often absent of context.
2021 in Review: South Korea’s Efforts to Navigate U.S.-China Competition
As U.S.-China competition remained unabated in 2021, South Korea continued to find itself navigating difficult waters in East Asia.
Academic Desires Conflict with Public Health Priorities
Value placed on education complicates enforcement of measures restricting people’s access to public places based on their vaccine status.
Public Health Policy Accommodate Foreign Relations
Seoul’s focus on managing relations with its principal partners can be seen in its response to demands from foreign nationals living in the country.
Fragmented Public Policy Response to Low Fertility
While the focus on child subsidies is not misplaced, the government may be missing the larger picture in its attempts to reverse the demographic decline.
Increasingly Gendered Framing of the Labor Market
The public response to the stabbing in Incheon highlights that the public increasingly sees social issues through the narrow lens of gender.