Asia

South Korea is currently engaged, once again, in a large-scale, expensive modernization of its military that aims to provide the country with a more robust and self-sufficient defense. The timing…

Globalization is a hallmark of the twenty first-century world. As transportation and telecommunications grow in both efficiency and level of performance and as the ambit of the Internet expands, it…

The penetration of the Internet in Korean society is usually seen as a positive development, perhaps even a model for other countries; more efficient bureaucracy, more political figures making use…

In the field of international security, few connections have been made between the Korean peninsula with the Middle East. Traditional regional studies literature focuses on Korean issues within the Asia…

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…

Popular culture can amplify a country’s soft power - and much has been made about K-pop’s contributions to South Korea’s ability to reach a global audience. However, these cultural assets are often constrained and cut down to size by the country’s own toxic political discourse. In Korea, anti-feminist ideology may become the breakwater to the…

What Happened Survey from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that Korea’s fertility rate was 0.92 in 2019, lowest among member countries. Data from September 2021 revealed that the birth rate dropped 6.7% compared to the same time last year. Although the South Korean government has offered cash incentives for parents, the policy has…

What Happened Newspapers criticized a female police officer who fled the scene of a stabbing. The incident reignited debate over the capability of women to serve in the police force. But the incident also comes amid growing criticism of police competence and growing calls to improve the training of its personnel. Implications: Discussions of broad social issues are increasingly being scrutinized…

Koreans head to the polls in March to elect the next president of the Republic of Korea. Current President Moon Jae-in is not permitted to stand again, and the election to choose his successor will be a close one. Polls conducted in recent weeks give Yoon Seok-youl of the conservative People Power Party a lead,…