Korea, South

In December 1950, while fighting the advancing Chinese army and bitter Korean winter, Colonel Edward Forney and other American and Korean officers managed to evacuate all troops as well as…

On May 10, former human rights lawyer Moon Jae-In officially became the next president of South Korea, filling an office that had been empty since former President Park Geun-Hye's impeachment…

After the closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex last year, economic ties between North and South Korea have all but ceased. And as sanctions measures continue to tighten, the international…

In this episode of Korean Kontext, guest host Kyle Ferrier, KEI's director of academic affairs and research, sits down with Korea Society President Tom Byrne. Before joining the Korea Society…

Over the last half decade, the Korean Peninsula has seen the prospect of war during Donald Trump’s period of “fire and fury,” but also a period of negotiations that resulted in a series of North-South and U.S.-North Korea summits. While war was avoided, those efforts at negotiation ultimately failed. The aftermath of those failed negotiations,…

Last year, pop idols Blackpink were designated as promotional ambassadors for the UN Climate Change Conference. The group has continued its advocacy this year, delivering new calls for environmental awareness and rallying fans around environmental activism. Other K-pop bands and their fans also promote social causes – particularly environmental protection. However, the music industry’s current…

A recent arson attack on a lawyer’s office revived concerns that violent crimes motivated by anger are on the rise in South Korea. The national police reported that around 40% of domestic arson attacks over the past decade have been “impulsive” and that this share has been steadily increasing over the years. While there is…

Billionaire Elon Musk recently drew attention to the falling number of births in South Korea, using it as a warning to other advanced economies. The country’s fertility rate in 2020 was 0.84 and the total population had begun to decline that year. However, the underlying problem is not, as Musk implies, people’s failure to “celebrate…

Please join KEI and KIEP for a discussion about the first 10 years of KORUS and the future of the U.S.-Korea economic relationship.