Asia

South Korea and Japan share common challenges and liberal democratic values but have been unable to build a close security relationship, due mainly to their political differences. This paper examines…

At the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), we foster connections to advance United States-Republic of Korea ties. Through bringing together people with an interest in topics of importance to…

How has the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped or influenced China’s geopolitical outlook and its grand strategy for the years to come? This is a question that will determine China’s relationship with…

The COVID-19 pandemic poses significant geopolitical challenges and presents opportunities for the United States in the Indo-Pacific. The Trump administration bungled the crisis, damaging the U.S.’s standing as a paragon…

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…

What Happened On March 24th, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted its 19th resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses. South Korea is not a co-sponsor of the resolution, though it will allow the resolution to be passed through consensus. This is the third year in a row that South Korea has not co-sponsored the resolution based on…

In his first remarks to the western press ahead of his second meeting with then President Donald Trump, Chairman Kim Jong-un said: “I won’t make predictions. But I instinctively feel that a good outcome will be produced.” He has not interacted with foreign journalists since then, but that long silence may soon come to an…

What Happened On March 23, the South Korean Defense Minister met with his UAE counterpart to discuss bilateral defense relations. South Korea’s Akh special forces unit first deployed to the UAE in 2011. In November of 2020, the National Assembly approved extending the Akh unit's deployment until the end of 2021. Implications: South Korea is willing to leverage military deployment to…

What Happened Criticizing the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises, Kim Jong-un’s sister threatened to withdraw from a 2018 agreement to reduce the military presence along the DMZ. The ROK Ministry of Unification noted that military drills should not be used to heighten tensions. The comments came just as the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense arrived in…