Asia

Korea’s economy in the year 2005 demonstrated that it is picking up significant positive momentum, although the full-year performance in 2005 showed mixed results. Korea’s real gross domestic product (GDP)…

Korea is in the midst of the most rapid demographic transition of any member country of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); the share of Korea’s population older…

There are few areas about which there is a greater range of opinions among international monetary experts than the issue of exchange rate regimes. Eminent economists can be found who…

In 2005, the Korean government implemented a number of new financial policies. Of those, two policy measures deserve special attention because of their potentially significant impact on domestic financial markets.…

In March, a curious protest took place in Seoul. Private kindergartens were going on strike. Protests by industry groups or workers are not uncommon in South Korea, but something about…

North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song demanded that the United States release a North Korean vessel that is currently held by authorities in American Samoa, warning that…

It’s been nearly one year since the Singapore Summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un and the two countries are at an impasse. North Korea signals no intention of giving…

What if our understanding of North Korea is inadvertently colored by the very resources that we rely on to deepen our knowledge of the country? What does this say about our policies…

Korea is expected to apply later this year for membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade agreement between eleven states in the Indo-Pacific. One signatory of the agreement is Japan, raising fears that bilateral tensions may encourage Tokyo to oppose Seoul's bid. But noting their shared membership in another…

The AUKUS trilateral security partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States has been received with much international attention, as well as concern. Under the pact, Australia has been formally granted capacity as a third country to acquire nuclear-powered submarines—the first of such case since the 1958 Mutual Defense Agreement between the US…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea’s entertainment industry pioneered a new era of virtual concerts. K-pop bands live-streamed their performances, often adding features like augmented reality to provide audiences at home with new experiences. This also complemented the broader push in the industry to become more technologically savvy, including the adoption of virtual avatar idols and strategic partnerships with…

This is the tenth in a 10 part series looking at how the issues identified in KEI’s annual “10 Issues to Watch for on the Korean Peninsula” series developed in 2021. The original “10 Issues” piece can be found here. In recent years, South Korea has taken steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including a pledge…