1986 Posts located
For Southeast Asia, the COVID-19 pandemic was not only a public health crisis. It also provided an occasion for China to deepen its engagement in the region by dint of…
COVID-19 has not gone away, and observers are now discussing possible long-term effects of the pandemic, including on geopolitics. A report by the European Parliament discussed five COVID-generated factors that…
The coronavirus pandemic that struck in late 2019 has affected the world profoundly, and Japan is no exception. But the direct impact on Japan has been relatively small considering the…
The national identity gap between China and the United States has become increasingly apparent. Under Xi Jinping, China has sought to reclaim its historical greatness and proclaimed itself to be…
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…
The latest polling data from the Asan Institute for Public Policy includes the Institute's first results since Ahn Cheol-soo officially declared for the presidency. While Park Geun-hye has opened up a 10 point lead against Ahn and Moon Jae-in, she trails Ahn in a head-to-head race and is essentially tied with Moon.
By Nick Miller The Korean Times reported on September 7th that Kim Jong-il’s sister, Kim Kyong-hui, was in ill health stemming from her past abuse of alcohol. Kim Kyong-hui serves as one of the guardians of Kim Jong-un along with her husband Jang Song-taek. After Kim Jong-il’s suffered a stroke in 2008 he had to…
By Jessica Choi A few days ago, I went to my friend’s favorite local Japanese sushi bar for the first time, and I noticed that there was bulgogi (Korean beef bbq) on the menu. My interest was piqued, so I decided to try speaking Korean to the waitress. Lo and behold, it turns out that…
By Jae-kyung Park Early last month, the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China exchanged harsh words publically on the issue of South China Sea. On August 3, the U.S. State Department issued a press statement with the heading of ‘South China Sea’. The words therein are carefully and considerately crafted,…