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Je Heon (James) Kim

Director of Public Opinion and External Relations
Korea Economic Institute of America
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About Je Heon (James) Kim

Dr. Je Heon (James) Kim is Director of Public Opinion and External Relations at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) in Washington, DC. He also serves as a Lecturer in the Executive Master of Public Policy and Administration Program at Columbia University.

Previously, he was the Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Center for Regional Studies and the Center for Public Opinion Research at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, South Korea, where he also directed the institute’s Washington, DC office. From 2008 to 2012, he was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at California State Polytechnic University (Pomona). His career also includes roles as a Summer Research Associate at the RAND Corporation and a Statistical Consultant for the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Planning at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. His primary research interests include domestic drivers of foreign policy, political economy, methodology, and public opinion.

Dr. Kim earned a BS and MS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a PhD in Political Science from Columbia University.

Publication

Contemporary American Public Attitudes on U.S.-South Korea-Japan Trilateral Cooperation

The August 2023 trilateral summit at Camp David marked a historic milestone in U.S.-South Korea-Japan relations, establishing new frameworks for crisis consultation, information-sharing, joint military exercises, and cooperation on critical…

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September 10, 2025
Je Heon (James) Kim

Fairness and Reciprocity? Reconsidering Trump’s Liberation Day Tariffs on South Korea

This report evaluates the rationale and implications of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs on South Korean imports. The administration frames these tariffs as “reciprocal” measures necessary to correct perceived…

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Region: The United States

June 25, 2025
Je Heon (James) Kim, Nils Wollesen Osterberg

Untethered Sentiments: How Politics, Visibility, Perception, and Demographic Differences Shape American Views on Foreign Investment and Trade

The key takeaways from this study are as follows: 1. Impact of Perception on Foreign Investment Attitudes: The study finds that individual perceptions of FDI at the state level play…

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Region: The United States
Location: United States of America

May 13, 2025
Je Heon (James) Kim, Nils Wollesen Osterberg

2024 Report on American Attitudes Toward the Korean Peninsula

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…

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Region: Asia, North America

October 10, 2024
Scott Snyder, Andy Hong, Jennifer Ahn, Je Heon (James) Kim

Peninsula Blog

Powering a Future-Oriented Alliance: U.S.-South Korea Energy Cooperation

The first summit between President Donald J. Trump and President Lee Jae Myung on August 25 could be a clarion call for a new era of “future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance.” While the agenda announced by South Korea’s Office of the President indicates that the two leaders will discuss a broad range of topics related to…

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Region: Indo-Pacific

August 25, 2025
Je Heon (James) Kim

Much Ado About Tariffs? Implications of the Trump Tariffs for South Korea

The Donald Trump administration’s tariffs have reignited debates over their utility and repercussions, particularly for strategic allies like South Korea. Its supporters, for instance, have pointed out the value of tariffs in introducing better terms of trade for the United States while generating significant revenues for the federal government; however, its critics have questioned whether the…

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Region: Indo-Pacific

July 22, 2025
Je Heon (James) Kim

Fairness and Reciprocity? Reconsidering Trump’s Liberation Day Tariffs on South Korea

Read the full report by Nils Wollesen Osterberg and Dr. Je Heon (James) Kim by clicking here. The latest report from the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) evaluates the rationale and implications of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs on South Korean imports. The administration frames these tariffs as “reciprocal” measures necessary to correct…

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Region: The United States

June 25, 2025
Je Heon (James) Kim, Nils Wollesen Osterberg

Americans Care Who Invests in America

There is ample public opinion data suggesting a link between U.S. attitudes on trade and trade partners. Recent poll results show that Americans favor trade with countries like China less than with allies like South Korea and Japan. One consideration appears to be how Americans think about trade within the broader context of national security.…

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Region: Asia

June 11, 2025
Je Heon (James) Kim

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