Asia

The United States and South Korea are close allies, committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and home to advanced industrial economies. Pragmatic cooperation on clean energy technologies would aid their…

For the United States and South Korea, aligning efforts in biotechnology and biomanufacturing within the strategic alliance will support shared goals for technological leadership, economic competitiveness, and supply chain resiliency.…

Although the US-ROK alliance is critical for the security of the Indo-Pacific region, the close bilateral military relationship has not historically extended into outer space. Policies and regulations dating to…

In the past decade, the US and South Korea faced a relatively narrow set of challenges in cyberspace, notably North Korea’s cyber crime facilitating sanctions evasion. In the next decade,…

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…

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…