Asia

This paper aims to trace the major changes that took place in the Korean housing market and the housing finance system during the past decade, and also to offer an…

Rocky roads conjure images of pitfalls and jarring bumps on a tortuous journey toward some desired destination, without assurance that some calamity will not bar the way to the hoped-for…

Between winning the election in December 2007 and taking office in February 2008, Lee Myungbak and his administration sketched out a massive reform program that would potentially affect every aspect…

The year 2008 saw a reversal of a long-lasting policy constellation in the international community visà- vis the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). South Korea, for 10 years…

In 2023, KEI has set out on its “Rethinking Korea initiative,” which explores the evolution of U.S.-Korea relations, Korea’s place in the world, and rapid changes in Korean society itself.…

In 2023, KEI has set out on its “Rethinking Korea initiative,” which explores the evolution of U.S.-Korea relations, Korea’s place in the world, and rapid changes in Korean society itself.…

You’ve probably heard the Korean War referred to as an unfinished conflict – but that’s not just a reference to the frozen war on the Peninsula. The sudden outbreak of…

We often talk about whether the sanctions against North Korea are working. And we have spoken occasionally on this very podcast about the ways North Korea also cheats and gets…

Squid Game - the first Korean show to top Netflix’s charts - follows the country’s long cinematic tradition of examining inequality and power relations. The story focuses on a group of indebted people who accept a mysterious invitation to participate in a series of children’s games for a chance to win approximately USD 40 million.…

What Happened A report from February 2021 identified differences in people’s ability to access private education as a key reason behind differing levels of academic achievement. This achievement gap appears to have accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic due to remote learning. On August 27, the Mayor of Seoul began offering private online education to students to reduce disparities in academic…

What Happened The ruling Democratic Party’s presidential frontrunner, Lee Jae-myung, faced scrutiny over allegations that Seongnam city extended preferential treatment to a private asset management company during his mayorship. Meanwhile, newspapers broke the story that the same company provided the son of opposition lawmaker Kwak Sang-do with an unusually large severance payout of USD 4.2 million when he changed…

Although the South Korean government strongly advised the public to stay home during Chuseok—Korea’s Thanksgiving—it was estimated that the population movement increased by 5 percent during this year’s holiday compared to the last. As the public eagerly waits for Covid-19 to subside and travel restrictions to be lifted, popular Southeast Asian destinations including Thailand’s Phuket…