Asia

Seong-Hyon Lee argues that the trilateral relationship between South Korea, Japan, and China is currently at a critical juncture as historical legacies, territorial disputes, and the evolving geopolitical landscape pose…

This introduction provides a broader framework for the first four papers in this issue of Korea Policy by examining five distinct ways or areas wherein trade and investment intersect with…

This paper examines the concept of “derisking” and how the Japanese Economic Security Promotion Act (ESPA) has responded to it within the framework of deterrence theory. It explores how ESPA…

Although it is happening more rapidly in South Korea, an aging society is a common feature in post-industrial societies around the world. With the number of retirees growing and the…

In March, Seoul suffered from the worst air pollution on record. Enough that the South Korean government has officially designated the problem as a "social disaster." But what is causing…

Over the past few years, Korea and Koreans have experienced incredible political, social, and diplomatic shifts. It is hard keeping up with all these new developments as a Korea Watcher,…

Even before the meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, foreign policy practitioners and observers were talking about the difficulties of sequencing international sanctions relief for North Korea…

By Kenneth Lee In recent years, the United States expressed interested in deploying the Theater High Altitude Area Defense missile system or THAAD, onto the Korean peninsula to counter North Korea’s growing missile threats.  Earlier in June, General Curtis Scaparrotti of United States Forces Korea was quoted in Yonhap News saying he personally “recommended the…

By Diane Stevenson In a future with the Asian Super Grid, renewable energies gathered in the steppes of Mongolia would be transported through an integrated, multi-national power grid to reach energy needy cities in China, Russia, on the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. According to the most recent UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network report, South Korea,…

By Joseph Dahl and Diane Stevenson Amid Congressional gridlock, the border crisis and a lawsuit against the President, a rather important and potentially consequential bill passed the House without much attention. H.R. 1771, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2014, would put renewed pressure on the Kim regime if successfully passed by the Senate…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz For the first visit by the leader of the Catholic Church to Korea in 25 years, there were numerous expectations for a variety of issues. Pope Francis’ popularity and different leadership style brought about the possibility that concerns regarding the difficulties of inter-Korean relations, a Korean society distraught over a tragedy and…