Asia

Korea’s regulatory environment is often cited as being one of the most difficult aspects of doing business in Korea. Among the various regulations that foreign invested companies and foreign investors…

Well-functioning capital markets should encourage private saving and investment by channeling surplus funds to reach their most productive uses. In the process, well-functioning capital markets create a diverse menu of…

During the 1972 U.S. presidential campaign, “Deep Throat,” later revealed to be Associate Director Mark Felt of the FBI, counseled Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to “follow…

After the Asian financial crisis of 1997, the Korean government geared up to carry out financial restructuring. As a result, the number of domestic financial institutions stood at almost half…

In this episode we speak with Doug Goudie, Director of International Trade Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Mr. Goudie draws from his experiences to share his perspective…

In this episode we hear from Tami Overby, Vice President for Asia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and former President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. Ms.…

Now in its tenth year, KEI’s Opinion Leaders Seminar (OLS) is an annual gathering of some of the world’s foremost policymakers and scholars on the U.S.-South Korean alliance. In this…

An exclusive interview with Dr. Alon Levkowitz, author of the most recent edition of the Korea Economic Institute’s Academic Paper Series. His paper, titled “The Republic of Korea and the…

By Chad O'Carroll With North Korea having conducted two long range rocket launches in a year, many analysts have been speculating as to why Pyongyang was so keen to try another launch just months after the last one ended in catastrophic failure. One straightforward theory suggests Pyongyang wants an inter-continental ballistic missile capability and that…

Independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo withdrew from the South Korean presidential race Friday, giving his support to fellow left-leaning hopeful Moon Jae-in. This development clears the way for Moon Jae-in to face Park Geun-hye, the candidate for the governing Saenuri Party. Until Friday, Ahn had been working with Moon, of the Democratic United Party, to merge their…

By Seongjin James Ahn With the presidential elections in the U.S. now over, South Korea has turned its attention to the political transition occurring in China.  This week the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is set to reveal its new leadership roster for the next ten years, and regardless of who comes into power, South Korea…

By Gilbert Rozman Much is made of dynastic succession, of long periods when the organs of communist party rule are moribund, and of the military first policy in North Korea. To many, these are incompatible with the communist system. Yet, the meaning of this system keeps changing from Karl Marx to contemporary Chinese rule. Taking…