Indo-Pacific

With the election and inauguration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in early June, the new administration is beginning to ease the country’s policy toward North Korea. The new direction echoes the policy of former President Moon Jae-in to improve relations with North Korea. President Moon held two summits with North Korean leader Kim…

South Korea is set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit for the second time. The event will be held from October 31 to November 1 and presents a valuable opportunity for Korea—with a new president in office—to demonstrate renewed diplomatic leadership and reaffirm its commitment to international cooperation. Unfortunately, the timing of the…

On July 7, President Donald Trump effectively delayed the 25-percent reciprocal tariffs against South Korea to August 1. The extension grants more time to reach an agreement but does not alleviate the need for a trade deal to achieve certainty and lower tariffs. Section 232 tariffs have remained in force during the pause of reciprocal…

President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law on July 4 after a series of close-call votes in both the House and the Senate, including a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance. Outlining the United States’ fiscal and budget policies for Trump’s second term, it includes termination of subsidies…

Seoul has gradually adopted a more outspoken position regarding the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and framed it in increasingly expansive terms—as a regional and global…

The development of the concept of the Indo-Pacific strategy, since its adoption by the United States in 2017, has primarily been driven by the emergence of China as an object…