Asia

Growing up as a Korean-American, I was often asked, “Where are you from?” This question became a kind of standard line that opened or punctuated many first encounters. Sometimes, the…

In less than a year, the fate of the six-party talks has swung around from the lowest ebb when North Korea conducted its nuclear test to the current high point…

It may be premature right now to talk about post–free trade agreement (FTA) relations between the United States and Korea. The U.S.-Korea FTA still has some way to go before…

The past decade in the Korea-U.S. alliance relationship has not been smooth. Since the late 1990s, Koreans have been raising issues related to the past or current actions of the…

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…

Why are Korean cultural products going global when many other countries around the world also have a robust and dynamic domestic TV, music, and cinema scene? Some observers point to the Korean government’s direct support as the differentiating variable. But Sciences Po Paris lecturer Jimmyn Parc argues in a recent paper for KEI that the…

What Happened The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that it will begin a pilot service that allows people to search where sex offenders live using the map app provided by Korea’s largest online platform Naver. The service was created because the current system is updated less frequently than the Naver map. This follows a wave…

What Happened South Korea plans to deliver more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam, representing Seoul’s first direct vaccine commitment to a foreign nation. South Korean venture firms continue to expand in Southeast Asia with the government promising support for their outreach to ASEAN countries. South Korean President Moon Jae-in will participate in a series of ASEAN summits…

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…