North America

In 2023, KEI has set out on its “Rethinking Korea initiative,” which explores the evolution of U.S.-Korea relations, Korea’s place in the world, and rapid changes in Korean society itself.…

This week, Congress introduced 2 articles of impeachment against President Trump. One for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress. The ongoing confrontation between the White House and…

The ongoing confrontation between the White House and U.S. Congress will likely engross President Donald Trump’s political attention in the months ahead. Given his central role in executing highly delicate…

What does it mean to be Korean? Is a person's Korean identity contingent on their birth on the Korean Peninsula, their parents’ ethnicity, or their ability to speak Korean?  100…

The Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), with the generous support of the Korea Foundation, organized six “Vision Group” roundtable conversations with leading American scholars and commentators to discuss the…

Commentators have pointed to the “Trump Effect” for falling international student enrollment in the U.S. higher education sector. When taking a closer look at student mobility trends from South Korea,…

KEI’s 2020 Report on American Attitudes Toward the Korean Peninsula focuses on U.S. views on relations with South Korea, U.S. awareness of South Korean brands and cultural products, and views…

The 2012 electi on saw the rising prominence of Korean Americans as an increasingly visible force in U.S. politi cs. This paper discusses key features of the Korean American vote,…

Strategic competition between the United States and China spans various fields, from security to economic dimensions. Shipbuilding is a particularly salient industry within this space. Both the United States and China rely heavily on maritime platforms such as naval ships for power-projection purposes. The Chinese government has significantly increased investments in military modernization, leading to…

From May 13 to 15, 2025, the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) brought its Future of Korea (FOK) outreach program to Burlington, Vermont, in partnership with the Vermont Council on World Affairs. The FOK delegation consisted of representatives from KEI, the U.S. Department of State, and the South Korean Embassy. During the visit, the…

Policy uncertainty in the United States has increased, which is influencing the long-term outlook for South Korean multinationals’ investment decisions. I use recent data to quantify the magnitude and drivers of this uncertainty, including trade, monetary, and fiscal policies. Then, I examine how firms may respond, such as aligning with U.S. policy initiatives, adopting a…

Amid all the talk of tariffs and investments in the United States, numerous reports and analyses have pointed to the benefits of deep socioeconomic linkages between the United States and South Korea. As President Donald Trump noted as early as 2019, “Hyundai, Samsung, CJ, Doosan, and SK Group… have created more than 50,000 brand new…