Asia

This chapter compares the foreign policy responses of three “core” ASEAN states—Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore—vis-à-vis an assertive China and a rebalancing America.1 The weaker states have all pursued a hedging…

The four papers in Section 1 compare hedging behavior in countries on the frontline between the rising power China and the reigning hegemon, the United States. The first paper by…

Faced with growing youth unemployment and public dissatisfaction with labor market conditions, representatives from South Korean labor, management, and government finalized an agreement to reform the domestic labor regime in…

Since the death of Kim Il-sung in 1994 there have been numerous predictions that the collapse of the North Korean political system would be imminent, yet the Kim dynasty continues…

In this episode, Korean Kontext speaks with Ms. Jie-ae Sohn, President of Arirang TV & Radio, Korea’s first English language international broadcast system. Ms. Sohn worked as the former CNN…

Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons has emerged to be one of the key foreign policy priorities of the Obama administration. Despite efforts among Western powers to form a united…

By the time you read this, the KORUS FTA will have entered the implementation stage. To celebrate, Korean Kontext caught up with two of the main movers-and-shakers behind the deal…

This episode of Korean Kontext has a distinctly British flavor, featuring interviews with two leading Ambassador’s that work closely on UK and Korea related affairs. While recently in London, Korean…

With the removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, South Koreans head to the polls next week to pick his successor. The leading candidate is Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, a progressive politician with a track record of being critical of Japan. In 2023, he engaged in a twenty-four-day hunger strike to protest…

Economic data for South Korea from recent months, analyzed by the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), offers an early indicator of how U.S.-imposed tariffs from April 2 might impact Korea’s economy and U.S.-Korea trade. Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports went into effect in February, followed by tariffs on autos on April…

South Korea has faced political paralysis since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s December 3, 2024, declaration of martial law, the rapid reversal of that decision by the National Assembly, and the ensuing crisis. The Constitutional Court will decide on April 4, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. KST whether to uphold the Assembly’s decision to impeach President Yoon.…

The digital trade landscape in South Korea offers significant opportunities for U.S. companies, but it also presents a range of challenges. As one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, South Korea is a lucrative market for digital trade. However, U.S. companies eager to tap into this potential face various challenges, including regulatory…