Asia

Just as the world economy was about to be thrown into another Great Depression in late 2008, leaders of the Group of 20 (G-20) and emerging economies gathered for the…

The world of the twenty-first century is not the world in which I grew up. Then, influence and power were centered in the so-called industrialized world—Western Europe, Japan, and North…

When the global financial crisis tore through world economies, national budgets around the world were immediately funneled to stabilize and revive the energy-intensive industries impacted by the market maelstrom. Yet,…

Every country is increasingly interested in the green economy and developing green growth. Different principles, strategies, and methods have been announced. Korea has also acknowledged the importance of the green…

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 Seongjin James Ahn With the presidential elections in the U.S. now over, South Korea has turned its attention to the political transition occurring in China.  This week the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is set to reveal its new leadership roster for the next ten years, and regardless of who comes into power, South Korea…

By Gilbert Rozman Much is made of dynastic succession, of long periods when the organs of communist party rule are moribund, and of the military first policy in North Korea. To many, these are incompatible with the communist system. Yet, the meaning of this system keeps changing from Karl Marx to contemporary Chinese rule. Taking…

In this week's Asan Institute for Policy Studies public opinion poll Moon Jae-in briefly opened up a lead over Ahn Cheol-soo after the two progressive announced they would work to merge their campaigns. The the race remains essentially a dead heat. In new data released on the support of key cohorts among progressives, Moon's support…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz  The feast day of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and companions occurred this week on September 20. The celebration of these Korean saints demonstrates the development of religious freedom on the Korean peninsula. Moreover, religion and religious freedom need to be promoted as positive aspects for solving issues in unifying…