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…

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 Nicholas Hamisevicz After not being seen in public for over a month, surely Kim Jong-un would be at the 69th anniversary celebrations for the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea today. But, there was no sighting. The conspicuous absence of Kim Jong-un will continue to fuel speculation about his health, about the current…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz In a surprising move, North and South Korea held a high level meeting shortly before the closing of the Asian Games. While Kim Jong-un’s whereabouts are still unknown, the perceived number two official in North Korea, a closely connected leader with Kim Jong-un, and the person in charge of North Korean relations…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz In September, there were two chances for North and South Korea to have high-level meetings, yet they were unable to take advantage of those opportunities. The Incheon Asian Games and the opening of United Nations General Assembly had the potential for the two Koreas to develop positive momentum in inter-Korean relations with…

By Gi-Wook Shin, David Straub, and Joyce Lee The already serious situation on the Korean Peninsula is worsening. North Korea is on a path to credibly threaten South Korea, Japan, U.S. forces in Northeast Asia, and eventually the United States with a nuclear attack. At the same time, Inter-Korean relations have become dangerously unstable, with…