Asia

The purpose of this research is to identify an exchange rate regime that would be suitable for North Korea to achieve its goal of economic reform. To do so, we…

This paper reviews and evaluates the development of Bank of Korea policy in historical and comparative perspective. The historical perspective focuses on the most recent of the three stages of…

During the past decade there has been growing academic interest in the field of nation branding. It is increasingly common for governments to adopt the techniques of brand management in…

In Northeast Asia and the United States during the later months of 2008 a great deal of attention was paid to the health of Kim Jong-il. Rumors of a stroke,…

In this episode, Korea Economic Institute’s Director of Communications Chad 0Carroll speaks with Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations. Having written a number of publications on U.S. relations…

In this episode, Korea Economic Institute’s Director of Public Affairs and Regional Issues Sarah Yun speaks with Dr. Andrei Lankov of Kookimin University. Having written a number of books on…

In this episode, new Korean Kontext presenter speaks with Curtis Melvin, the man behind the NK Econ Watch blog and developer of “North Korea Uncovered”, a Google Map overlay that…

In this episode, we speak with Kevin O’Donnell, who, after decades on a private sector career path, became the first-ever Peace Corps country director for South Korea, followed by a…

In the brutal contest for streaming views, “Squid Game” has outplayed its competitors to become Netflix’s biggest hit. Beyond its own success, however, the dystopian drama also epitomizes what has become a mutually beneficial partnership between the streaming giant and South Korea’s creative industry. As KEI’s Troy Stangarone underscores, the show is an example of Netflix’s strategy…

What Happened The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education recently announced that schools in the city will be adopting electronic boards by 2024 to accommodate more digital hardware in classrooms. Teachers, however, pushed back against this proposal, arguing that they have not properly considered the practical application of these tools. Meanwhile, the Korean government has been…

What Happened The U.S. government asked semiconductor manufacturers to voluntarily share their client list, inventory status, and other confidential information. This includes South Korean firms like Samsung and SK Hynix. South Korea is concerned that the request would reveal these firms’ trade secrets to rivals. Implications: South Korea approaches commercial engagement with trade partners with the assumption that their policymakers will look at…

Following its success in containing the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea hoped to be recognized as a global health leader. But a recent survey conducted by KEI and YouGov suggests that fewer Americans see South Korea as an ideal partner in global health challenges than they did in 2020 (52% in 2020 vs. 43…