Asia

Japan’s Indo-Pacific Strategy predates that of the U.S. In fact, Abe Shinzo gets credit for envisioning it as early as 2007, during his first brief tenure as prime minister. When…

Over the past decade, the “Indo-Pacific” concept has replaced the late 20th century “Asia-Pacific” as a central frame of reference for strategy and external policy. Definitions vary. Some cast the…

KEI’s 2023 Report on American Attitudes Toward the Korean Peninsula summarizes results from a survey commissioned by KEI and conducted by YouGov from August 22nd to August 29th, 2023. The…

For understandable reasons, the international community has been focused on North Korea's nuclear program, concerned that Pyongyang could have a weapon capable of such massive destruction. But should they also…

Last week, we looked at the details of the new US and UN sanctions against North Korea, delving into the new measures to get at Pyongyang's funding. But will they…

On February 18, President Barack Obama signed into law a new round of sanctions designed to further squeeze the North Korean regime. On March 3, the United Nations Security Council…

Human rights in North Korea remains a divisive issue between the international community and North Korea. In 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Council established Commission of Inquiry on Human…

What Happened On April 27, senior ROK government officials met to prepare for next month’s Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) summit. At this preparatory meeting, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong reiterated President Moon’s statements on the importance of implementing South Korea’s carbon goals before next month’s summit. Despite Moon’s pledge to reduce emissions during a U.S.-led climate summit…

Korea stands out for its success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and limiting its economic impact. The 1.0% fall in real GDP in 2020 was the smallest decline among the 38 member countries in the OECD. Nevertheless, employment (including the self-employed) in February 2021 was 1.8% below its year-earlier level. Women accounted for about 60%…

At the end of last week, the United States announced that President Joe Biden will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in for in-person meetings in Washington on May 21.  The statement from the White House Spokesperson said the visit “will highlight the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and the…

What Happened The South Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced plans to make it easier for a child to take either parent's surname at birth, alongside other changes. The announcement also included plans to conduct a public opinion survey on the ethics of having a baby through surrogacy and donating eggs and sperm to unmarried…