Asia

For Southeast Asia, the COVID-19 pandemic was not only a public health crisis. It also provided an occasion for China to deepen its engagement in the region by dint of…

COVID-19 has not gone away, and observers are now discussing possible long-term effects of the pandemic, including on geopolitics. A report by the European Parliament discussed five COVID-generated factors that…

The coronavirus pandemic that struck in late 2019 has affected the world profoundly, and Japan is no exception. But the direct impact on Japan has been relatively small considering the…

The national identity gap between China and the United States has become increasingly apparent. Under Xi Jinping, China has sought to reclaim its historical greatness and proclaimed itself to be…

This spring, Han Kang became the first Korean author to win the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for her novel, "The Vegetarian." And, for the first time in the prize's…

North Korea recently experienced one of the worst natural disasters in its history, as flood waters swept through towns in the northeast part of the country. Up to 600,000 people…

Middlebury College, famous for its immersive language programs, added Korean as its 11th language in 2015. Now, after two summers, the School of Korean is helping students from a variety…

With the goal of supporting the next generation of scholars interested in Korea and Northeast Asia, the U.S.-Korea Next Gen Scholars Program brings together young professionals from various backgrounds to…

The long 2020 is behind us and expectations for President Joe Biden could not be higher. Many constituents demand that the new U.S. administration fix not only what Mr. Trump damaged during his four years in office but also parts of society that were broken long before the 2016 election. President Biden no doubt realizes…

What Happened On June 1, the Ministry of Justice announced a revision to the Nationality Act that will make it easier for the children of permanent residents to receive South Korean citizenship. The new policy sparked a backlash from those who believe the policy favors Chinese residents living in South Korea, as 95% of those who would benefit from…

What Happened Lee Jun Seok is emerging as the leading candidate in the race for the chairmanship of the main opposition party. Lee has been openly critical of the Moon Jae-in administration’s efforts to have a gender quota in his cabinet appointments. The ruling Democratic Party’s candidates were soundly defeated in recent mayoral elections in Seoul and Busan, largely…

Korea’s real GDP grew 6.6% (seasonally-adjusted annual rate) in the first quarter of 2021, bringing it back to its pre-pandemic peak level (Figure 1). The May OECD Economic Outlook projects that it will increase 3.8% in 2021, significantly faster than its March outlook of 3.3%. The new projection is consistent with forecasts by the Bank…