Asia

The Kim-Putin summit in April 2019 and the abortive Trump-Kim summit in February 2019 compel us to review Korean issues from the regional security standpoint, rather than primarily as a…

During the period leading up to the turn toward diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula that began in 2018, China and Russia achieved close cooperation in addressing the North Korean nuclear…

The Japanese government makes no secret of its intensifying security concerns. The Ministry of Defense’s most recent annual white paper includes the assessment that, “The security environment surrounding Japan has…

In 2018, research was underway in Northeast Asia on several trilateral and multilateral initiatives for cross-border infrastructure connectivity involving China, Russia, both Koreas, and Japan. Infrastructure included railway lines, cross-border…

Hello again after the holiday break! Just before the holidays I spoke with Hawon Lee, who was just wrapping up his nearly four years as Washington D.C. Bureau Chief of…

In this episode we speak with Mr. Ken E. Gause, currently a senior research analyst with the International Affairs Group and Iranian Studies Program at CNA Strategic Studies in Alexandria,…

In this episode, we are joined by Balbina Hwang, currently a visiting professor at Georgetown University and the National Defense University here in D.C. Ms. Hwang is here to speak…

This episode takes us directly into the office of Ambassador Han Duk-Soo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, who shares his thoughts on the much-anticipated G-20…

Korea’s real GDP grew 6.6% (seasonally-adjusted annual rate) in the first quarter of 2021, bringing it back to its pre-pandemic peak level (Figure 1). The May OECD Economic Outlook projects that it will increase 3.8% in 2021, significantly faster than its March outlook of 3.3%. The new projection is consistent with forecasts by the Bank…

What Happened On May 13, the South Korean government announced it will provide tax incentives and subsidies to encourage growth and investment in the domestic chip market. On May 25, the government announced additional plans to provide financial incentives and support to domestic makers of automotive chips and other key car components. The government also sent requests to foreign automotive chip…

Despite differences in political ideology, South Korea’s relationship with Vietnam has deepened and evolved since formal diplomatic relations were established in 1992. Trade and economic investment have grown substantially, and the two countries have upgraded their bilateral relationship from a “dialogue partnership” to a “strategic partnership.” Next year’s 30th anniversary of South Korea’s diplomatic relations…

At the end of May, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea held his first in-person meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House. The joint statement released by the U.S. indicates that the leaders discussed a wide range of areas to deepen cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea, from climate change and COVID-19,…