Asia

The most noticeable shift of diplomacy and security strategy in Xi Jinping’s government is the evolution of peripheral diplomacy. China’s East Asia strategy is especially evolving in response to Washington’s…

What equilibrium means to geopolitical balance of power maneuvering, equality means to national identity resentments over gaps perceived as unjust. When South Korea gained favor as the “linchpin” of U.S.…

South Korea’s nation-building project during the Cold War relied heavily on strong state direction designed to generate a sense of cohesion and national identity. These strategies were conceived and executed…

It is tempting to see in developments in contemporary Japanese politics indications of a fundamental shift in Japanese national identity. Resist that temptation. There are changes afoot in Tokyo, but…

When Kim Jong-il died in 2011, the world held its breath as North Korea entered uncharted waters. No other communist dictatorship in the last century – for that matter no…

On June 25, 1950, North Korea launched a surprise invasion of South Korea and started a war that is still technically ongoing. But it was – as North Korea’s Kim…

The North Korean economy is changing – we know this because of widely reported growth of private markets since the famine of 1990s. But black markets and illicit activities are…

In May, The Korean-born Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin was named The National League Pitcher of the Month. When you think of Asians and baseball, you might think first…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz In May, much of the attention toward the Korean peninsula was drawn toward the northern part as North Korea held its first Party Congress in thirty-six years. While looking for possible changes to emerge from the Kim Jong-un regime, the stalemate in inter-Korean relations continues. North Korea did offer talks, but South…

With the Democratic and Republican presumptive nominees now identified, here is our comprehensive list of what the two candidates have said about the Korean peninsula since the beginning of the race. Hillary Clinton June 2, 2016 – “Take the threat posed by North Korea – perhaps the most repressive regime on the planet, run by…

By William Brown China’s Customs Bureau on Tuesday released its global trade report for April that includes details of the country’s trade with North Korea[i].  Some initial impact from UNSC sanctions may be observed, although seasonal changes tend to obscure the picture.  Overall trade with North Korea was down about ten percent in April, from…

By Troy Stangarone At North Korea’s recent Party Congress, Kim Jong-un laid out a five-year plan to boost economic growth in North Korea. As part of his plan, Kim Jong-un raised the need to address North Korea’s chronic energy shortage by increasing North Korea’s energy production, including the production of nuclear power. While addressing the…