The Peninsula
The Peninsula blog is a project of the Korea Economic Institute. It is designed to provide a wide ranging forum for discussion of the foreign policy, economic, and social issues that impact the Korean peninsula.
Kim Jong Un’s Risky Year of the Snake
William Brown
January 27, 2025
Kim Jong Un continues to fire ballistic missiles into the East Sea/Sea of Japan, showcasing an orderly and stable government. But this may be deceptive, aimed to fool the country’s troubled citizenry and Trump, more than it is a reality.
Implications of the US Treasury’s Designation of Currency Manipulation for South Korea
Hyerim Kim
January 24, 2025
The last thing South Korean monetary officials need to hear about is the US Department of the Treasury’s recent addition of South Korea to its currency monitoring lists. In light of these circumstances, the South Korean government and the country’s businesses will need to be agile in dealing with these external challenges that could emerge.
Protectionism With Opportunities for US-South Korea Trade Under Trump 2.0
Nils Wollesen Osterberg
January 22, 2025
The economic relationship between the United States and South Korea is stronger than ever, but President Donald Trump’s promises of higher US tariffs pose risks to the relationship. As protectionist US trade policies will likely distort current trade patterns, a well-positioned South Korea could stand to benefit.
[2024 in Review] North Korea’s Economy: It’s All About Money
William Brown
December 20, 2024
Financial issues plagued North Korea in 2024 with efforts to stop hyperinflation and currency debasement suddenly coming unraveled.
South Korea Scrambles to Adjust to a Trump Economy
William Brown
December 2, 2024
President Yoon Suk-yeol, like many of his peers, try to disentangle likely changes in US economic policies by the second Trump administration.
US and South Korean Economic Growth Diverge in Q3 2024
William Brown
November 4, 2024
South Korea eked out a disappointing 0.1 percent gain from Q2. In contrast, the US showed a 2.8 percent growth, down slightly from 3 percent.
Economic Issues for Korea in the Next US Administration
Tom Ramage
October 31, 2024
With a host of pending initiatives, here are some of the top economic issues for the US-Korea relationship in the next US administration.
Lessons from the IMF Annual Meeting for South Korea
Je Heon (James) Kim
October 30, 2024
There were four main themes in this year’s meeting: moderating inflation, low growth, fiscal stress, and geopolitical risk.
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