North America

In this episode, Korean Kontext spoke to Korean-American actor Steven Yeun.  Having acted in several high profile TV shows, Yeun’s interest in acting originated during his freshman year at Kalamazoo College after watching…

On Friday January 13, the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) celebrated Korean American day at the Newseum, in Washington, DC.  As part of the celebration, KEI recognized three Korean-American pioneers in…

This episode features a conversation with Sam Yoon, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA). Prior to his work with NACEDA, Sam served on the…

In this episode we hear from Korean-American filmmaker Michael Kang, who made his directorial debut at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with The Motel, which was awarded the Humanitas Prize…

Defense industrial cooperation between the United States and South Korea is deeply rooted in the bilateral security alliance and has evolved over time. The United States has prioritized allied cooperation…

On September 15, 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced the formation of AUKUS, a trilateral security partnership intended to support Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. A…

KEI’s 2024 Report on American Attitudes Toward the Korean Peninsula summarizes results from a survey commissioned by KEI and conducted by YouGov from September 3rd to September 10th, 2024. The…

The second Donald Trump administration’s rapid start has put South Koreans on alert regarding the implications for managing U.S.-South Korea relations. Under normal circumstances, South Korea’s president would be near the front of the line outside of the Oval Office. But Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law last December and his subsequent impeachment have…

“You should get rid of the CHIP Act and whatever’s left over, Mr. Speaker, you should use it to reduce debt. Or any other reason you want to.” This pronouncement from President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress in his second term fully unmasked his administration’s trade 2.0 agenda. If realized, the repeal of the…

There is much speculation about the future of certain funding awards and tax breaks under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA is a federally enacted legislation, meaning its repeal would require an act of Congress. However, so far under Trump 2.0, the executive branch has been testing the full extent of its power.…

In addition to chips and pharmaceuticals, U.S. President Donald Trump has officially stated that he plans on introducing a tariff of roughly 25 percent on cars entering the United States, beginning April 2. Its imposition is likely to severely affect U.S.-South Korea economic relations, as well as the U.S. economy itself. Passenger vehicles have constituted…