Asia

South Korean–Middle Eastern relations have been neglected in the literature throughout the years, mainly owing to the focus on Korea’s relations with the United States and Asian states and the…

An old Korean proverb says that when two whales fight it is the shrimps whose backs are crushed. Maybe that proverb best describes Korea’s situation on the trade front these…

The Domestic and International Politics of Spent Nuclear Fuel in South Korea: Are We Approaching Meltdown?

Geography alone would give Russia a prominent role in the Korean peninsula. The Russian Federation currently shares a recently demarcated 17-kilometer common border along the Tumen River with the Democratic…

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…