KEI Contributor – Mai Anna Pressley

In 2023, KEI has set out on its “Rethinking Korea initiative,” which explores the evolution of U.S.-Korea relations, Korea’s place in the world, and rapid changes in Korean society itself.…

This article was published on The Diplomat on October 3, 2022. On September 14, a female subway worker was murdered by her ex-coworker in Sindang Station. The 28-year-old victim had filed a…

Questions of whether the K-pop market has peaked are hardly new. Concerns about market oversaturation have been raised since the inception of the third generation in 2012 when the number of groups that debuted annually more than tripled. New bands from industry powerhouses are not making the expected impact in sales, and there has been…

A video version of the 10 Issues to Watch for on the Korean Peninsula in 2023 with the blog's authors is available on KEI's YouTube channel. The most significant event to impact the Korean Peninsula in 2022 was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As in much of the world, the war had the effect of furthering…

Seoul has hosted a Queer Festival annually since 2000, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in Korea that faces persistent social reprisals. But this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government refused to extend a permit for the event, which the organizers see as motivated by discrimination. The most vocal opponents of the festival, and gay rights overall, are…

The anticipated debut of girl group Le Sserafim has been marred by accusations that one of the members had been a school bully. Last year, other singers, actors, and even professional athletes faced similar allegations. Bullying is not an issue unique to South Korea, so why are these accusations enough to damage a career? Bullying…