United States of America

During the last two years ago, U.S.-South Korea relations have strengthened in ways that many Korea watchers did not expect. With a liberal President Barack Obama entering office, some feared…

Last year was a momentous year for the Korean Peninsula. As the world worked its way out of the global and financial crisis of 2008-2009, South Korea demonstrated its global…

Incredible change in the global economy over the past decade has shattered virtually everyone's expectations of what the next fifty years will look like, and Korea is no excpetion. The…

When the global financial crisis tore through world economies, national budgets around the world were immediately funneled to stabilize and revive the energy-intensive industries impacted by the market maelstrom. Yet,…

The U.S.-South Korea relationship has long been defined by a shared commitment to upholding security. But in recent years, it has evolved into something even more powerful: a comprehensive partnership rooted in economic strength, technological innovation, and cultural exchange. During the Joe Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce saw firsthand the remarkable expansion of…

The beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term presages a major reordering of U.S.-South Korea economic relations. The imposition of reciprocal tariffs on Korea and the addition of import duties on steel and automobiles signify a sharp turn away from the playbook previously dictated by the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). At the same…

The first quarter of 2025 marked the transition into what will likely be seen as a new global economic reordering. President Donald Trump began his second term in the White House on January 20, and the United States and South Korea continued their rapid tempo of investment partnerships and collaborative agreements. Meanwhile, policy changes at…

Over the past two decades, the United States has played a uniquely important role in sustaining the global movement for truth, justice, and accountability for the people of North Korea. Today, that movement is in crisis. In an unprecedented turn of events, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) and partners across the…

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.