Asia

The goal of this study is to explore the current state of U.S.-Korea trade and economic relations, with special emphasis on the impact of the rise of Asian regionalism and…

For more than a half century, the specter of renewed conflict across the demilitarized zone (DMZ) has dominated thinking about Korea’s future. To be sure, the prevailing political-military situation at…

The Korea Economic Institute (KEI) is pleased to issue the second of its new “Special Studies.” In contrast to KEI’s other publications, which generally take the form of a compilation…

During the past decade, the United States and Korea have pursued free trade agreements (FTAs) with a number of bilateral trading partners. For the United States, the Korea-U.S. (KORUS) FTA…

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 visit by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to South Korea earlier this month created a few ripples. No major announcements were made, and the two leaders pledged to continue efforts to bolster ties. In South Korea, the opposition Democratic Party issued a somewhat ritual denunciation of the Yoon Suk-yeol government for “undermining national interest…

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign position to implement tariffs of up to 10 percent—or even 20 percent as his pronouncements have suggested—has grabbed the attention of the international business community. It was also featured prominently in the first and possibly only debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Already, analysts are concerned about the…

Several important economic figures released by the South Korean government last week suggest that the overall economy is in good shape. One perplexing trend, however, is the less sanguine numbers reported on the general perception and sentiment about the country’s macroeconomic performance. This seeming discrepancy is worth examination because “feelings” about the economy can affect…

On August 13, South Korea and Vietnam celebrated the completed construction of the Vietnam-Korea Cooperation Center for Smart City and Construction Technology (VKC) in Hanoi. The VKC is symbolic in that it represents renewed bilateral cooperation following the COVID-19 pandemic and because it has withstood a shift in South Korean administrations. The center was initially…