Asia

This paper argues that the impact of Hallyu (the Korean Wave) on the Korean economy has only been effective in boosting related sectors, such as cosmetics, fashion, and tourism. Interestingly,…

This paper proposes a framework for conceptualizing middle powerism in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, using South Korea as an example. The paper argues that the systemic transformation…

In the context of growing US-China tensions, South Korean administrations have opted for degrees of strategic ambiguity, refraining from overt actions that suggest South Korea is taking sides. While strategic…

KEI’s 2021 Report on American Attitudes Toward the Korean Peninsula summarizes results from a survey commissioned by KEI and conducted by YouGov on August 30th to September 7th, 2021. The…

Strategically located at the crossroads of Central Asia, China, and Russia, Mongolia has long attracted the attention of regional powers – including the Koreas. How is this traditionally-nomadic, but resource-rich,…

Though hesitant to officially join the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, South Korea is seeking to promote many of the same values through the Moon administration’s “New Southern Policy.” Central to this…

The U.S. Peace Corps was active in South Korea between 1961 and 1981. One of the many volunteers who served in South Korea was KEI president and CEO Kathleen Stephens.…

This month, the world was reminded once again that the relationship between the Republic of Korea and Japan is deeply fractious. Japan has imposed restrictions on the export of chemical…

What Happened A report from February 2021 identified differences in people’s ability to access private education as a key reason behind differing levels of academic achievement. This achievement gap appears to have accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic due to remote learning. On August 27, the Mayor of Seoul began offering private online education to students to reduce disparities in academic…

What Happened The ruling Democratic Party’s presidential frontrunner, Lee Jae-myung, faced scrutiny over allegations that Seongnam city extended preferential treatment to a private asset management company during his mayorship. Meanwhile, newspapers broke the story that the same company provided the son of opposition lawmaker Kwak Sang-do with an unusually large severance payout of USD 4.2 million when he changed…

Although the South Korean government strongly advised the public to stay home during Chuseok—Korea’s Thanksgiving—it was estimated that the population movement increased by 5 percent during this year’s holiday compared to the last. As the public eagerly waits for Covid-19 to subside and travel restrictions to be lifted, popular Southeast Asian destinations including Thailand’s Phuket…

What Happened In 2019 July, Japan imposed export restrictions on sensitive chemicals which South Korean industries need to produce semiconductors and electronic gadgets. Japan’s export restrictions by Japan and retaliatory public boycotts on Japanese products from Korean consumers have persisted longer than any other disputes before. Two years after the start of this dispute, Korea is less dependent on Japan for…