Asia

This paper examines policies in the renewables sector across various countries and where political tensions could generate suboptimal outcomes for the sector’s development. In its analysis of supply- and demand-side…

With North Korea becoming increasingly politically isolated, there are few channels through which the international community can remain engaged. Despite the distaste most have for Pyongyang politics, more than 24…

This paper compares Sino–South Korean management of bilateral economic and political tensions; it argues that China’s WTO entry has provided an external institutional framework for managing disputes on the economic…

On 19 December 2003, the leader of Libya, Col. Muammar El-Qaddafi, shocked the world by abruptly stating that his country was renouncing its attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction…

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…

What Happened Severe Disaster Law was passed to protect employees working in environments with insufficient safety regulations. While the new legislation intensifies punishments for chief executives, it does not provide supplementary safety regulations. The effectiveness of the new bill is questioned as workplaces with fewer than 5 employees are not affected by the new legislation despite…

What Happened The ruling Democratic Party is developing a plan to incentivize big corporations to share part of their profits with entities that were heavily affected by COVID-19. The ruling party wants to promote voluntary participation through incentives such as tax benefits and administrative support. Some National Assembly delegates and policy commentators voiced their demand for more…

What Happened A 16-month-old toddler was killed by her adoptive parents in 2020. An investigative report revealed that the police and other protective services were aware of possible abuse prior to her death. A nation-wide campaign led to the National Assembly Legislative Judiciary Council advancing new legislation requiring public agencies to investigate all reports of child abuse. Implications: Despite the South…

A three-hour military parade and a fireworks display in Pyongyang on January 14 punctuated the end of the 8th Congress of the Workers Party of Korea.  The 8th Congress, which lasted eight days, was the first such high party gathering since 2016 and only the second since the 6th Congress was held in 1980.  Such…