North America

Long before BTS and Psy made their debut, a handful of entrepreneurs were laying the foundations for what would become the Korean Wave in the United States. With Korean pop culture…

Korea today leads the world in autos and electronics, but newly emerging manufacturers and protectionism threaten the country's position as a leading exporter. In search of innovative industries that will…

K-pop had an explosive year in 2018, but it didn't arise from a vacuum. Since 1998, one web community – Soompi – has been sharing the latest information about Korea's…

For the latest episode, Korean Kontext spoke to Korean-American actor James Kyson. Having made waves for his performance as Japanese character Ando Masahashi on hit NBC television series “Heroes”, Korean Kontext…

In a speaking tour to seven major U.S. cities during May 3 through May 11, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States and the Ambassador of…

For the over 1.5 million Korean-Americans living in the United States today, what part do sports play in the American experience? For that matter, what role do sports have in…

This is the first in a three part series looking at the ongoing trade debate in the United States and its impact on Korea. Part two can be found here and part three here. By Phil Eskeland Last week saw one of the most interesting weeks in the politics of trade policy on Capitol Hill…

By Phil Eskeland Within the next several hours, President Barack Obama is expected to sign an Executive Order to allow certain undocumented immigrants, numbering perhaps as high as 5 million, who entered the United States without prior authorization or overstayed their visas, the right to remain and work in the United States.  Elements of the…

By Jack Pritchard As I depart KEI after 6 ½ years as president, I want to acknowledge the great support and contributions my colleagues have made in enhancing the credibility and reputation of our small institute.  As president I am often praised for the innovative work that KEI does and, while I appreciate the compliment,…

By Troy Stangarone On the morning of June 25, 1950 the sound of exploding shells awoke Koreans and U.S. troops alike in the city of Kaesong. With the sound of those early morning explosions, the lives of more than 300,000 soldiers from the United States and countless Koreans would be changed forever. Many who would…