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.
Featured Posts
What a Newly Reorganized State Department Could Mean for North Korean Human Rights
By Robert King
May 6, 2025
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Future of Korea: How Las Vegas is Driving Korean American Innovation
By Jennifer Ahn
May 5, 2025
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Is North Korea the Next Target of Trump’s Search for a Deal?
By Daniel Sneider
April 30, 2025
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How the U.S. and South Korea Can Power the Globe with Nuclear Energy
By Henry Haggard
April 28, 2025
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The United States and South Korea: A Vital Economic Partnership for the 21st Century
By Don Graves
April 23, 2025
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The Order and Chaos Surrounding U.S.-South Korea Tariff Negotiations
By Tom Ramage
April 22, 2025
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US funding freeze threatens backbone of global efforts on North Korean human rights
By Hanna Song
April 17, 2025
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Why Shipbuilding is a Silver Lining amid the U.S. Tariff Turmoil
By Je Heon (James) Kim
April 15, 2025
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Steel Tariffs Undercut US Strategic Competition in EVs and AI Infrastructure
Tom Ramage
February 14, 2025
The second-term trade actions impacting Korea and other countries will deeply affect the US ability to compete in steel-intensive industries.
“Déjà vu All Over Again” as Trump Orders US Withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council
Robert King
February 13, 2025
The United States will cease to participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and eliminate positions supporting the US representative.
Decoupling, De-risking, and South Korea’s Strategic Challenges
Sunhyung Lee
February 10, 2025
A return to decoupling could be the trend for the global economy under President Donald Trump’s second term.
South Korea's Continuing Turmoil: A Timeline
February 4, 2025
Contributors (last name alphabetical): Je Heon (James) Kim, Joo Young Kim This timeline is the third part of a series that covers major events in the aftermath of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s…
US Public Opinion on Hallyu and Implications for Korean Soft Power
Je Heon (James) Kim
February 4, 2025
An analysis of US public opinion suggests that the recent rise of Hallyu should be taken seriously due to its impact on attitudes about Korea.
What Happened: Q4 2024
Nils Wollesen Osterberg
January 31, 2025
During a time of political change in both the United States and South Korea, new investments, partnerships, and diplomatic dialogues continued to strengthen the economic and technological partnership between the two nations.
Mitigating the New Politics of Zero-Sum
Michael Beeman
January 30, 2025
Major political developments at the end of 2024 have ushered in new unpredictability in the US-South Korea relationship for 2025. First came the re-election of Donald Trump in the United States, followed by dramatic events in South Korea that are still evolving after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law. Deep political division is a powerful undercurrent contributing to both these developments, the aftermath of which will play out in unique and uncertain ways in each country over the course of 2025.
Political Turbulence Clouds South Korea’s Economic Outlook
Randall S. Jones
January 29, 2025
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, and his subsequent impeachment on December 14 have plunged the country into its worst political crisis in nearly 40 years, with some signs of a negative economic impact. The economy was already showing signs of weakness before the December political crisis. The additional concerns about political instability have led some forecasters to downgrade their outlook for Korea in 2025.
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