The September 4 detention of some 300 South Korean nationals at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia exposes a contradiction in the Donald Trump administration’s goal to “Make America Great Again.” The Trump administration has prioritized deporting illegal immigrants who are viewed as gaining benefits without having established citizenship, but it also…
September 8, 2025
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s address commemorating the eightieth anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule marked a major attempt to define the foreign policy posture of his new administration. In his speech on August 15, the South Korean president articulated a forward-looking vision regarding trade and economic development. Lee was similarly positive…
August 18, 2025
After months of political uncertainty, South Korea has a new president. Lee Jae-myung, the former mayor of a wealthy Seoul satellite city who leveraged that experience into a governorship of the country’s most populous province and chairmanship of the Democratic Party (DP), won a decisive 49.4-percent victory over the ruling party’s leading candidate. Lee’s victory…