Asia

This is the full PDF of the 2015 edition of Joint U.S.-Korea Academic Studies. Please click here to download the individual chapters included in this publication. At the Korea Economic…

For a variety of reasons, North Korea at times behaves in a provocative fashion. This chapter starts with a discussion of the concept of provocation and its nature. A careful…

This chapter is about how Japan prepares to respond to provocations from North Korea. As background factors, we need to consider how Japan is altering its security policy, how it…

When speaking to a Korean audience, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) invariably inserts the Korean phrase katchi kapshida ( 같이 갑시다), “we go together,” at some point in…

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…

At the end of July, the Yoon government announced its intention to relax South Korea’s prohibition on North Korea media. In a statement published on 22 July, the Unification Ministry said it would work to "restore ethnic homogeneity by enhancing mutual understanding and consensus between the two Koreas through phased opening of mass media that…

As young South Koreans navigate an increasingly competitive education system and job market, a growing industry has presented a new opportunity: esports. No longer only viewed as a pastime or casual hobby, video games have opened a field for many to develop their skills and even attain superstar status. Esports is valued globally at $1.38…

August 24 of this year marked the six-month anniversary of the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  In February, Moscow massed a hundred thousand troops along its border with Ukraine, all the while sanctimoniously proclaiming that it had no intention to invade. Expectations in Moscow were that Russia would quickly overthrow the government led by…

Following his inauguration in May 2022, President Yoon Suk Yeol announced that his administration would devise South Korea’s own Indo-Pacific strategy, which would consequently take the place of his predecessor’s New Southern Policy. The exact details of the strategy are yet to be announced, but South Korea’s past and ongoing foreign engagements provide an initial…