1985 Posts located
After the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) is approved by the legislatures of Korea and the United States, it will likely provide a turning point for the countries’ bilateral…
The denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) continues to be a source of considerable international concern. Yet, no coherent international framework has emerged to deal with this…
Korea is arguably the premier development success story of the last half century. Despite this success, there has been a nagging sense among many observers that the development of Korea’s…
The unique restriction of a one-time, five-year presidential term in the Republic of Korea (ROK) has often resulted in short-lived changes to the way the nation’s chief executive has staffed…
In this episode of Korean Kontext, I have the opportunity to speak with Richard V. Allen, who, in the weeks preceding his official instatement as National Security Advisor to President-elect…
In this episode we hear from author Mike Kim, who speaks with Korean Kontext about his experiences living and working with North Korean refugees on the China-North Korea border. Mike…
We bring the Korean Kontext studio to the U.S. Department of State to speak with Kathleen Stephens, current U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. Ambassador Stephens shares with us her personal…
In this episode we speak with Ambassador John Everard, who served as Ambassador of Great Britain to North Korea from 2006-2008. Ambassador Everard experienced firsthand life as one of only…
By Nicholas Hamisevicz Early January is usually a time of optimism as goals are set and plans are made for a new year. Regrettably, there is often little progress on those efforts just a few weeks later. For inter-Korean relations, a similar process occurs. There is hope for better relations as both leaders usually have…
By Mark Tokola, Troy Stangarone, and Nicholas Hamisevicz Last year saw a series of significant events on the Korean peninsula. On the economic front, South Korea concluded free trade agreements with Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Vietnam, and reached substantial conclusion on a deal with its largest trading partner, China. While inter-Korean relations avoided the…
By Mark Tokola On Wednesday, January 21, four Korean workers were crushed to death at the Geochung Shipbuilding Company in Busan when the operator’s cabin broke away from a 40-ton crane. A police officer told the press, “It appears that they were trying to disconnect the cabin without proper safety equipment.” The police will now…
By Andrew Haggard The casual observer may be perplexed by the recent headlines of supposed North Korean hackers effectively bringing Sony Pictures Entertainment’s computer systems to its knees. How does one reconcile NASA photos and satellite images showing the near-entirety of the northern part of the Korean peninsula in utter darkness with the picture of…