Asia

The tax burden in Korea—at 26 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) —was well below the average of the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)…

There may have been no one who anticipated the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, once one of the top five global investment banks. The shocking news reverberated through the Korean financial…

Korea’s economy in 2008 was adversely impacted by high commodity prices, especially oil, and by financial and real shocks started by the collapse of housing prices in the United States…

The twenty-first century has already been dubbed the Asian century. Although this nomination may be premature, it is certain that its fi rst decade belongs to Asia. This is reflected…

With worldwide familiarity of Korean pop culture increasing through the viral exposure of Korean musician Psy’s hit record “Gangnam Style”, this episode Korean Kontext speaks to Mark James Russell, author…

In this episode we spoke to B.R. Myers, author of “The Cleanest Race” and regular contributor to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic.  Having been raised…

In this interview Korea Kontext speaks with Dr. Jennifer Lind, assistant professor at the Department of Government, Dartmouth College.  Well known for her work on North Korea and N.E. Asia…

In this episode we spoke to comedian and actor Steven Byrne, of the brand new TBS series “Sullivan and Sons”.  Known as one of the hardest working and energetic comics in…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz Initial KCNA and other reports about the September 25, 2012 Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) meeting indicate North Korea has made no public announcement on economic or agricultural reforms as anticipated by numerous press articles and North Korea watchers. Proclamations following the meeting emphasized changes to North Korea’s education system. Thus, those that…

Despite Ahn Cheol-soo formally entering the race for president, his poll numbers did not see a bounce in the first Asan Institute for Policy Studies poll out since his announcement on September 19. This week's addition of the Asan Institute poll includes additional data at the end related to how South Korean's view his candidacy.    …

By Seongjin James Ahn In light of all the recent and mixed reports attempting to evaluate Korea’s economic outlook for the remainder of 2012 and beyond, many analysts have been wondering what truly lies ahead for Korea’s economy.  Is the country bound for leaner times, or will things turn around?  What will a potential economic…

In this week's Asan Institute for Policy Studies polling President Lee Myung-bak saw his approval rating slowly rise back above 30 percent by the end of the week. In the presidential race Moon Jae-in passed Ahn Cheol-soo as the favored candidate of progressives and pulled within less than 3 percent of Park Geun-hye in the…