Oct 28, 2014

Déjà Vu: Is Korea the Next Japan?

By Yoon-shik Park

The Asian economic resurgence was first initiated by Japan after the end of World War II. Japan’s economy grew rapidly during the three decades from...

Sep 11, 2014

Joining the Asia Space Race: South Korea’s Space Program

By Daniel A. Pinkston

The Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea) is an emerging space-faring nation seeking to expand its space capabilities in the realms of science, communications,...

Jul 23, 2014

Globalization, Income Inequality, and Deindustrialization: The Case of South Korea

By Yiagadeesen Samy

This paper examines the evolution of income inequality in South Korea over the period 1965 to 2011 using a fairly new dataset, namely the Standardized...

Jul 8, 2014

In the Shadow of Jang Song-Taek: Pyongyang’s Evolving SEZ Strategy with the Hwanggumpyeong and Wihwa Islands

By Adam Cathcart

This paper centers upon two potentially transformative Special Economic Zones (SEZs) on the DPRK’s northwestern frontier – Hwanggumpyeong and Wihwa Islands. As part of a...

May 8, 2014

Generational Differences in Attitudes Toward Korean Unification

By Kimberly Gill, Kyle Christensen, Thomas P. Dolan

For the past two decades, studies have indicated that popular support for Korean unification is dropping. However, no explanation is offered for this. This report...

May 8, 2014

South Korean Views on the U.S. Rebalance to Asia

By Karl Friedhoff

The U.S. rebalance to Asia continues to stir debate in South Korea. This debate has thus far been carried out via the discussion of the...

Jan 28, 2014

Information Technology and Social Controls in North Korea

By Scott Thomas Bruce

To mitigate the risk of social unrest, the North Korean government has attempted to integrate information technology into its system of social controls. Cell phones...

Jan 22, 2014

How Expanding Trans-Border Transportation Networks Will Impact South Korean-Mongolian Energy Cooperation: Using the Greater Tumen River Initiative to Realize the Eurasia Initiative

By Alicia Campi

The Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) is a regional cooperation mechanism among Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and...

Jan 22, 2014

Luxury Goods in North Korea: Tangible and Symbolic Importance to the Kim Jong-un Regime

By Soo Kim

The North Korean government pursues illicit avenues to satiate the appetites of its top leaders, continue to develop Pyongyang’s weapons programs, obtain currency, and strengthen...

Dec 10, 2013

Building a Creative Economy in South Korea: Analyzing the Plans and Possibilities for New Economic Growth

By Sean Connell

Though previous Korean governments have taken steps to support Korea’s transition to an advanced innovation-driven economy, the Park administration has significantly heightened the level of...

Nov 18, 2013

East Asia at the Crossroads: A Comparative Study on Taiwan’s and Korea’s Reconciliation with Adversaries

By Byung Kwang Park, Tung-chieh Tsai, Yeh-chung Lu

Security and political issues over the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula remain as flashpoints in East Asia since WWII. The authors argue that economic...

Nov 11, 2013

South Korea’s Defense Industry: Increasing Domestic Capabilities and Global Opportunities

By Richard Weitz

Since the end of the Korean War, the United States has been the largest supplier of defense systems to the Republic of Korea (ROK). The...