Korea, South

In March, a curious protest took place in Seoul. Private kindergartens were going on strike. Protests by industry groups or workers are not uncommon in South Korea, but something about…

Although it is happening more rapidly in South Korea, an aging society is a common feature in post-industrial societies around the world. With the number of retirees growing and the…

In March, Seoul suffered from the worst air pollution on record. Enough that the South Korean government has officially designated the problem as a "social disaster." But what is causing…

Over the past few years, Korea and Koreans have experienced incredible political, social, and diplomatic shifts. It is hard keeping up with all these new developments as a Korea Watcher,…

By Phil Eskeland Last week, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a report[1] on the level of skills among adults in 24 developed countries, including the Republic of Korea and the United States.  There were several interesting analyses, comparing the skill level of adults in these nations based on age, education level,…

By Linda Butcher Named as the most wired place on earth, it is no surprise that South Korea has faced many cybersecurity challenges with 2013 being one of its worst years. Unfortunately, at this time all that South Korea can do when dealing with cyberwarfare is play defense. Earlier this year, numerous South Korean websites…

By Troy Stangarone The 2008 financial crisis began to raise questions about whether the United States was a waning power soon to be eclipsed by a rising China. Despite China’s economy still being less than half the size the United States at the time, its vast population and consistent high levels of growth made China…

By Mehrun Etebari Yesterday, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that the experience of North Korea – who reached an agreement to dismantle its nuclear program in 2005, but tested its first nuclear weapon in 2006 – must warn the international community to refrain from optimism…

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.