Japan Archives - Korea Economic Institute of America

South Korea and Japan share common challenges and liberal democratic values but have been unable to build a close security relationship, due mainly to their political differences. This paper examines…

September 22, 2021

Naoko Aoki

Full Book | Joint U.S.-Korea Academic Studies 2021

At the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), we foster connections to advance United States-Republic of Korea ties. Through bringing together people with an interest in topics of importance to…

July 30, 2021

The Pandemic as a Geopolitical Game Changer in the Indo-Pacific: The View from Japan

The coronavirus pandemic that struck in late 2019 has affected the world profoundly, and Japan is no exception. But the direct impact on Japan has been relatively small considering the…

July 30, 2021

Glen S. Fukushima

Podcasts

Energy Insecurity: How Resource-Poor Korea and Japan Powered Their Economies

Despite being industrial powerhouses, Korea and Japan are both resource-poor nations with limited domestic sources of energy. Powering their economies required both to develop supply chains for fossil fuels, nuclear…

January 25, 2024

Troy Stangarone, Eric Hontz, Seong-ik Oh

Building Trilateral Momentum: The U.S.-Korea-Japan Summit

With relations between Korea and Japan improving over the last year the leaders of the United States, Korea, and Japan met in Washington on August 18 to discuss a common…

August 31, 2023

Kathleen Stephens, Marc Knapper

Korea, Japan, and the Missing Advocate: Kristin Vekasi and Jiwon Nam

This month, the world was reminded once again that the relationship between the Republic of Korea and Japan is deeply fractious. Japan has imposed restrictions on the export of chemical…

July 12, 2019

Summit Sum-Up: A Conversation with Ambassador Jim Zumwalt

With the world's attention on Singapore on June 12, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un walked across a stage flanked by American and North Korean…

June 13, 2018

Peninsula Blog

The Korea Wave and the Japanese Wall: The Limits of Korean Soft Power

One of Korea's strongest capabilities is its soft power, accrued through its exports of Korean popular culture. Whether it’s Squid Game or BTS, Parasite or Black Pink, the Korea Wave has reached every shore and boosted Korea's profile. But while this does provide some opportunities, experts say there are limitations to what objectives the Korean…

February 2, 2022

Terrence Matsuo

2021 in Review: Hope for Better Korea-Japan Relations in 2022

This is the fourth in a 10 part series looking at how the issues identified in KEI’s annual “10 Issues to Watch for on the Korean Peninsula” series developed in 2021. The original “10 Issues” piece can be found here. On December 12, 2021, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa delighted his colleagues at the G-7…

December 21, 2021

Alexis Dudden

Will the Next President Climb the Mount of Distrust Between Korea and Japan?

Koreans head to the polls in March to elect the next president of the Republic of Korea. Current President Moon Jae-in is not permitted to stand again, and the election to choose his successor will be a close one. Polls conducted in recent weeks give Yoon Seok-youl of the conservative People Power Party a lead,…

December 2, 2021

Terrence Matsuo

Remembering History... On the Big Screen

History, politics, and geopolitics are ever-present in Northeast Asia - and they are increasingly part of the media landscape. The controversy surrounding the Chinese war movie “The Sacrifice” is only the most recent reminder. Produced to commemorate the anniversary of Beijing’s unofficial entry into the Korean War, the film depicts the last large-scale Chinese offensive…