Asia

In the Trump era, there has been a surge of interest in the upsurge of sharp power as a disruptive force in international relations and the precipitous decline in the…

An intensifying backlash against Xi Jinping’s makeover of China and Donald Trump’s makeover of the United States has muddied thinking about the national identity struggle recently building between the world’s…

If we understand geopolitics as “representations of space” as well as “spatial practices,” then the Indo-Pacific region can be understood as a newly emerging geopolitical hotspot in which major powers…

When supporters of China’s President Xi Jinping point to his many accomplishments they highlight his impressive anti-corruption drive, the end of the one-child family policy, the intensive monitoring of social…

In 2010, a group of Asian countries made major strides toward economic integration with the launch of the Chang Mai Initiative Multilateralization. This currency swap arrangement has had a major…

With the recent season finale of The Walking Dead and the broadcast of his visit to South Korea with talk show host Conan O'Brien this past weekend, we look back at our…

This week our guest is noted scholar and North Korea watcher Dr. Stephan Haggard. Dr. Haggard is a Professor of Korea-Pacific Studies and director of the Korea-Pacific Program at the…

At KEI, we mainly focus on the relationship between the United States and South Korea, and their approaches toward North Korea. This week, we're taking a different look at the…

On May 20, 2025, the UN General Assembly held its first-ever “high-level session” devoted to the human rights abuses of North Korea. This latest action ups the ante in calling for reform of North Korea’s abysmal human rights record. Every year since 2004, the General Assembly has adopted resolutions criticizing North Korea and calling for…

South Korea’s Nextrade exchange—the country’s first alternative trading system to the long-dominant Korea Exchange (KRX)—debuted in March 2025. Nextrade extends trading hours, introduces lower transaction fees and increases product variation within capital markets. The persistent undervaluation of South Korean stocks compared to their Asia-Pacific counterparts is a phenomenon known as the ‘Korea discount’. By increasing…

On May 29, 2025, in what will likely be his last public speech as a government official, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul reviewed the accomplishments of and challenges faced by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Cho noted the challenges of navigating deepening international conflict and geopolitical rivalry. In addition, as a cabinet member in…

KEI will hold a hybrid event on June 6 with former U.S. ambassadors to South Korea and examine implications of the election’s outcome on U.S.-Korea relations. Click here to learn more and register to attend. South Korean voters will elect a new president on June 3, 2025, following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk…