China

As we approach the second US-DPRK Summit, the media in the United States is so focused on the dynamics between President Trump and Kim Jong-un that the interests and motivations…

President Donald Trump is off on his longest international trip yet, stopping in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. There, he is expected to tackle a range of…

For the first Korean Kontext podcast of 2017, five members of the KEI staff sat down with host Jenna Gibson for a chat about the volitility of 2016 and what…

In this episode, which originally aired in 2011, we hear from author Mike Kim, who speaks with Korean Kontext about his experiences living and working with North Korean refugees on…

By Donald Manzullo Did any real progress come out of the April 27 summit meeting between President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un? Optimists will say “yes”: the two sides dramatically agreed to formally end the Korean War and to declare a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula. Pessimists will say “no”: the Panmunjom…

By Phil Eskeland While many have expressed relief over reaching a tentative deal on limiting steel imports from the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the U.S. and modifying the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) with respect to maintaining the alliance, South Korea still could get caught in the cross-fire between China and the United…

By William B. Brown Like many North Korea questions, we don’t know but we have some ideas.  All of them regarding finance must be worrisome to Kim Jong-un and his cabinet as they try to deal with a near Chinese embargo on their exports that is likely causing an outflow of reserve dollars needed for…

By Troy Stangarone When Kim Yo-jong extended Kim Jong-un’s invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in to attend a summit meeting in North Korea at the “any convenient time,” President Moon responded by saying that the two Korea’s should work to make the “conditions right.” Creating the right conditions for an inter-Korean summit will be…

Please join KEI for a conversation with Markus Garlauskas and Axel Catellier on the factors driving South Korea’s recent military force development.