Asia

After the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) is approved by the legislatures of Korea and the United States, it will likely provide a turning point for the countries’ bilateral…

The denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) continues to be a source of considerable international concern. Yet, no coherent international framework has emerged to deal with this…

Korea is arguably the premier development success story of the last half century. Despite this success, there has been a nagging sense among many observers that the development of Korea’s…

The unique restriction of a one-time, five-year presidential term in the Republic of Korea (ROK) has often resulted in short-lived changes to the way the nation’s chief executive has staffed…

In this special episode of Korean Kontext, KEI's Juni Kim sat down with three North Korean defectors who have settled in South Korea. Each of them has a different story…

On May 10, former human rights lawyer Moon Jae-In officially became the next president of South Korea, filling an office that had been empty since former President Park Geun-Hye's impeachment…

The upcoming presidential election in Korea on May 9th will place many key issues under the microscope. One meriting serious consideration that has featured less prominently in the political discourse…

After the closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex last year, economic ties between North and South Korea have all but ceased. And as sanctions measures continue to tighten, the international…

What Happened Last year, a revised law required public school teachers to undergo mandatory drug testing. Lawmakers revised the law in response to the rise of drug abuse in Korea in recent years. The Gyeonggi Province Teacher’s Union demanded education authorities re-examine the “unreasonable’ measure. Implications: Seeking to address growing societal problems, the South Korean government often overlooks communicating its…

One year ago, President Moon Jae-in launched the Korean New Deal, which aims to “set the foundation for Korea’s next 100 years.” The New Deal is a national development strategy with three main objectives. First, create jobs, both government-supported positions for low-skilled workers and jobs that support the transition towards a digital and green economy.…

Does society affect the quality of the movies its directors make? Do democracies in fact make better art? Perhaps South Korea can provide an outlook on this question. 1960 is a special year in the country’s political history - a popular protest ousted President Syngman Rhee from office in April after he attempted to hold…

What Happened In 2019, Korean Internet Service Provider (ISP) SK Broadband claimed that heavy data usage by the U.S. streaming service Netflix posed a major financial burden and sought government arbitration. Local online platforms have also complained of reverse discrimination as domestic platforms pay substantially more in network usage fees than foreign ones. In response to a new law…