United States of America

Given the growing importance of East Asia to global stability and prosperity, sustaining the five U.S. treaty alliances in the region—Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines—will…

On 30 June 2007, U.S. and South Korean trade officials signed the U.S.- Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). The two countries reached the agreement after 10 months of very…

On 1 April 2007 Korea and the United States finally completed their year-long negotiations to conclude the Korea- U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), which was then signed by the…

President Lee Myung-bak won a landslide victory in 2007. His popularity before the election was obvious, and it came as a surprise to almost no one that he won by…

For the first time in decades, there is a real sense of urgency in revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding. There is bipartisan political interest in challenging China’s dominance in this space, and the U.S. private sector appears poised to capitalize on the momentum. Tangible and well-timed developments such as Hanwha’s purchase of Philly Shipyard have added to…

Strategic competition between the United States and China spans various fields, from security to economic dimensions. Shipbuilding is a particularly salient industry within this space. Both the United States and China rely heavily on maritime platforms such as naval ships for power-projection purposes. The Chinese government has significantly increased investments in military modernization, leading to…

From May 13 to 15, 2025, the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) brought its Future of Korea (FOK) outreach program to Burlington, Vermont, in partnership with the Vermont Council on World Affairs. The FOK delegation consisted of representatives from KEI, the U.S. Department of State, and the South Korean Embassy. During the visit, the…

On May 20, 2025, the UN General Assembly held its first-ever “high-level session” devoted to the human rights abuses of North Korea. This latest action ups the ante in calling for reform of North Korea’s abysmal human rights record. Every year since 2004, the General Assembly has adopted resolutions criticizing North Korea and calling for…

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.