Korea, South

Seoul has gradually adopted a more outspoken position regarding the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and framed it in increasingly expansive terms—as a regional and global…

From K-pop to K-drama and food, Korean culture has taken the globe by storm. Korean artists are topping the Billboard charts, Korean films are winning Oscars, and Korean kimbap at…

Countries with advanced semiconductor industries are caught in the middle of growing U.S.-China competition in technology focused on advanced computing. While some countries with key technology companies in the toolmaking…

The United States and the Republic of Korea have been celebrating the 70th anniversary of the alliance and the 120th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States throughout 2023.…

The number of defectors fleeing North Korea and resettling in South Korea remains at very low levels. The number had begun to decline before 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic led Pyongyang to enforce harsher border controls to prevent North Koreans (and others) from entering the country from abroad and potentially bringing the virus with them.…

South Korea’s defense industry, known domestically as “K-Bangsan,” is emerging as a major global player. Defense exports (in terms of orders) have skyrocketed in recent years, having exported a total of $38 billion from 2021 to 2023 ($7.3 billion in 2021, $17.3 billion in 2022, and $13.5 billion last year). That comes to an annual…

While South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is in Washington, DC this week for the NATO Summit, another landmark trans-Pacific visit has been made with Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s arrival in Seoul. Coming as part of a ten-day trip to Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, Governor Abbott’s visit highlights the many ways Korean companies are partnering…

Korea stands out for its long life expectancy of 83.6 years as of 2021, the second longest among the 38 countries that are members of the OECD. In addition, its avoidable mortality rate (premature death from preventable and treatable causes) was 142 per 100,000 persons, well below the OECD average. Expanded access to healthcare has…

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.