Asia

This paper examines South Korea’s foreign policy towards China before, during, and after the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense dispute to investigate the limits of South Korea’s…

The Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), with the generous support of the Korea Foundation, organized six “Vision Group” roundtable conversations with leading American scholars and commentators to discuss the…

The Moon administration in South Korea has implemented rapid changes to accelerate the decarbonization of the energy sector. While seeking to embrace renewables, Seoul has been relying on the bridging…

North Korea’s ballistic missile program has long been a concern for the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Foreign researchers have increasingly leveraged advanced open source intelligence technology and cooperated…

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 With increased financial digitization, Korean banks are shutting down their brick and mortar stores around the country. Throughout the pandemic, the elderly have struggled to access basic items such as masks using digital tools. More recently, their inability to quickly claim leftover vaccines through an online system left them at a disadvantage compared to the younger, tech-savvy population. Implications:…

Earlier this week, the North Korean Foreign Ministry released an article entitled “‘Humanitarian Aid’ Should Not Be Abused For Sinister Political Purpose.”  The article was given wide circulation—released by the Foreign Ministry and also the official press agency KCNA.  In a country where the media is rigidly controlled by the regime, the release of such…

With so many South Koreans adopting information and communication technology, the South Korean government used the data collected from its citizens to provide better public services. However, its success and other developments may be weakening the political support behind data privacy. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, public health officials have adopted technologies like quick response (QR)…

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…