Asia

South Korea is currently engaged, once again, in a large-scale, expensive modernization of its military that aims to provide the country with a more robust and self-sufficient defense. The timing…

Globalization is a hallmark of the twenty first-century world. As transportation and telecommunications grow in both efficiency and level of performance and as the ambit of the Internet expands, it…

The penetration of the Internet in Korean society is usually seen as a positive development, perhaps even a model for other countries; more efficient bureaucracy, more political figures making use…

In the field of international security, few connections have been made between the Korean peninsula with the Middle East. Traditional regional studies literature focuses on Korean issues within the Asia…

This week, we delve into how Japan views the security threat from China, and how these perceptions shape Japanese policy. For this, we turn to security expert Dr. Narushige Michishita.…

Last week, North Korea launched its Seventh Worker's Party Congress, a major meeting of regime leaders that has not been convened in 36 years. Although analysts had high expectations for…

In this episode, we take a step back from the Korean Peninsula and take a look at Northeast Asia from the perspective of one of its neighbors – Russia. In…

On May 1, South Korean President Park Geun-hye will travel to Tehran, Iran for a summit meeting with her counterpart, President Hassan Rouhani. This visit will be the first time a…

By Clare Hubbard  The official statement regarding President Obama’s April trip to Korea indicates that the main discussion points will be the ongoing implementation of the KORUS FTA, recent developments in North Korea, and reaffirming the U.S.-Korea alliance. However, one main reason for Obama’s trip to the peninsula is missing from the itinerary released by…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz The recent ruling by India’s Supreme Court requiring Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-Hee to come to India to face criminal charges connected to the alleged failure of a Samsung subsidiary to pay one of its Indian suppliers is yet another example of how India continues to turn away potential Korean and international…

By Kristen Lee During the 1960’s under President Park Chung-hee’s economic stewardship, the founders of today’s chaebol facilitated South Korea’s recovery after the war. These huge family-led business conglomerates became the foundation of the Korean economy and an integral part of Korea’s export-oriented growth. This rapid economic development, known as the “Miracle on the Han…

By Troy Stangarone In the aftermath of last spring’s shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the Park administration has sought international investment to serve as a bulwark against future actions by North Korea that would endanger Kaesong’s operations. While finding ways to raise the cost of a future shutdown for North Korea is a sensible…