Asia

This paper explores how South Korea defines “economic security.” Amidst geopolitical turbulence, the framing of this concept by governments and policy circles around the globe is reflective of the changes…

This paper examines how Beijing views economic security as well as other countries’ actions in this realm. Economic security is not a new or foreign concept to Chinese thinkers and…

This paper argues that while North Korea does not discuss “economic security” in domestic contexts or have an established definition of the term, it thoroughly understands that the economy and…

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (hereinafter DPRK or North Korea) has been pursuing technological development in a very different way from the standard path of global technology growth due…

Since the death of Kim Il-sung in 1994 there have been numerous predictions that the collapse of the North Korean political system would be imminent, yet the Kim dynasty continues…

In February 2014, the United Nations' special Commission of Inquiry on on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched their report, laying out more than 400…

Starting from the period after the Korean War and continuing today, more than 100,000 Korean children were adopted around the world. As they get older, many of them decide to…

Much has been said about the power of outside information – news, weather, and even soap operas – to influence the North Korean public. But a new report takes a…

What Happened Incheon, the longtime destination for Seoul’s garbage, is demanding Seoul city Mayor Oh Se-hoon adhere to Incheon’s request that Seoul finds a new landfill for its waste by 2025. With the increase in home deliveries during COVID-19, plastic and recyclables were thrown away at an unprecedented rate in 2020. China’s 2017 ban on trash and recyclable imports has…

What Happened On April 27, senior ROK government officials met to prepare for next month’s Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) summit. At this preparatory meeting, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong reiterated President Moon’s statements on the importance of implementing South Korea’s carbon goals before next month’s summit. Despite Moon’s pledge to reduce emissions during a U.S.-led climate summit…

Korea stands out for its success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and limiting its economic impact. The 1.0% fall in real GDP in 2020 was the smallest decline among the 38 member countries in the OECD. Nevertheless, employment (including the self-employed) in February 2021 was 1.8% below its year-earlier level. Women accounted for about 60%…

At the end of last week, the United States announced that President Joe Biden will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in for in-person meetings in Washington on May 21.  The statement from the White House Spokesperson said the visit “will highlight the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and the…