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.
Making America Chipless Again
Tom Ramage
March 7, 2025
If realized, the repeal of the CHIPS Act potentially affects the direction of billions of dollars of targeted investment in semiconductors.
Martial Law in South Korea: Understanding the Why
Havin Baik
January 17, 2025
On December 3, 2024, South Koreans and people across the globe alike were stunned when
President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a late-night, unannounced address. This marked the first use of martial law since South Korea’s transition to democracy in the late 1980s, reviving memories of the country’s authoritarian past and prompting widespread domestic backlash.
Addressing South Korea’s Provider-to-Patient Ratio Crisis
Destiny Kanning
January 15, 2025
South Korea’s healthcare system, often lauded for its universal access and quality, is facing an emerging uneven provider-to-patient ratio crisis. This disparity disproportionately affects rural and underserved regions, where access to medical care is severely limited compared to urban centers. With an aging population and increasing rates of chronic illnesses, the strain on the healthcare system is increasingly growing.
Changing South Korea’s Espionage Law is Good for Business
Ben Forney
September 24, 2024
Reforming the country’s espionage law enjoys bipartisan support, and a proposal is now under consideration in the National Assembly.
Rethinking South Korea's Demographic Challenge: The Economic Case for Temporary Labor Migration
Darcie Draudt-Véjares
August 23, 2024
The aging population will reduce productive capacity faster than capital accumulation and pronatalist policies can compensate.
Korea’s Healthcare System Part II: Policies to Contain the Growth of Healthcare Spending
Randall S. Jones
August 20, 2024
Rapid demographic change makes it essential to improve the efficiency of Korea’s healthcare system to contain the rise in spending.
Korea’s Healthcare System Part I: Why Are Doctors Going on Strike?
Randall S. Jones
July 9, 2024
Expanded healthcare has improved health conditions; however, a number of issues, including doctor shortages, suggest the need for reforms.
The South Korean Doctors’ Strike and the Global Predicament of Medical Training
Mark Tokola
May 3, 2024
Doctors’ strikes have made headlines and become a flash point in Korea, but they are only part of a global problem regarding medical training.
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