Asia

International oil prices have risen dramatically, raising the possibility of a “third oil shock.” During the first oil crisis in 1973, the annual average price soared to $85/barrel (bbl) in…

After more than two years of negotiation, false starts, and delay, Korea announced in April its intention to fully open its market to imports of U.S. beef, subject to finalization…

For Korea watchers—and particularly for those of us who worked closely on events associated with President Lee’s visit to Washington—April was a very rewarding month. After multiple protocol meetings, site…

As reported in the previous issue of Korea Insight (“The Bulldozer Moves In: Lee Myung-bak is Inaugurated as the Republic of Korea’s President”), President Lee moved to streamline the government…

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…

A popular online joke last week went something like this: “The leaders of South Korea and Moon Jae-in came to New York.” While the band’s global popularity is unmistakable, the fact that members of a Korean pop band were on the floor of the United Nations addressing world leaders remains no less surprising. The band was reprising its…

North Korea’s real GDP fell by 4.5% in 2020, according to the estimate announced by the Bank of Korea (BoK) at the end of July (Figure 1). It was the steepest decline since 1997 during the “Arduous March,” when North Korea was hit by famine. The downturn last year was caused in part by measures to contain…

What Happened On September 16, the National Police Agency announced that they are planning to release a new public safety strategy by October 2021. This strategy includes launching a task force to study the use of robots for street patrol. The military has also stated that it wants to incorporate “moving robots” and an artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance system…

History, politics, and geopolitics are ever-present in Northeast Asia - and they are increasingly part of the media landscape. The controversy surrounding the Chinese war movie “The Sacrifice” is only the most recent reminder. Produced to commemorate the anniversary of Beijing’s unofficial entry into the Korean War, the film depicts the last large-scale Chinese offensive…