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.
2022 in Review: Is Korea Becoming More Polarized?
Stephan Haggard
January 3, 2023
Korean voters are generally centrist. However, there is some evidience of growing political polarization, especially among partisan voters.
Partisanship Discourages Responsive Policy
Yu Na Choi
July 23, 2022
Recurring deadlocks in the National Assembly are fed by and worsen the public’s alienation from the political process.
Korea’s ad hoc and instrumental refugee policy
Yu Na Choi
July 4, 2022
South Korea’s refugee policies to-date have been largely responsive to the country’s political and economic demands, not principles.
Evolution of South Korean Party Politics
Kaitlyn King
July 2, 2022
Recent changes in Democratic Party leadership point to politics focusing on identifying and catering to core constituents.
Controversial Gwangju: Why May 18 Stands Out among Korea’s Democratization Movement Anniversaries
Benjamin Engel
May 5, 2022
Distorted historical narratives prevent South Korea from fully coming to terms with the 1980 Gwangju Democracy Movement and inhibit democratic growth.
The Foreign Policy Outlook of South Korean Progressives: Part IV
S. Nathan Park
April 27, 2022
Pragmatism represents a common theme in South Korea's liberal foreign policy, responding to external pressures as well as internal constraints.
Mapping Kim Jong-un’s Appearances, 2012-2021
Danbee Lee
April 15, 2022
There is a long tradition of considering North Korean leaders’ public appearances as a potential source of information on the regime’s priorities.
Does the Military Still Shape Korean Politics?
David Lee
April 6, 2022
President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol received endorsements from five former senior military officers. Did their endorsements influence voters?