New Phase in Old Partnership with Middle East
President Moon Jae-in’s three-nation trip to Middle East countries focuses on bolstering commercial and energy partnership with the region.
Hard Material Interests and Public Sentiment
The South Korean public appears more antagonistic towards China despite the nation’s extensive bilateral commercial ties.
Korean Firms Navigate Japanese Export Restrictions
Korean firms strive to reduce their dependence on single-source suppliers of strategic resources as regional tensions become more common.
Domestic Goals Override Foreign Policy Headwinds
Seoul and Washington agreed to remove ROK missile development restrictions, which supports South Korea’s goal of attaining military sovereignty.
As Chinese Tourists Continue to Drop, Korea Turns to the Middle East
As several KEI analyses have shown, South Korea’s tourism industry has been one of the main casualties of China’s economic retaliation over deployment of the THAAD missile defense system.
Is the Hallyu Crisis with China Over?
Beijing has approved the broadcast of a new Korean drama that had been co-produced by a Korean and a Chinese company, according to a source in the Chinese entertainment industry, making it the first Korean show to get the green light since before the THAAD spat.
Chinese Tourists to South Korea Drop 40 Percent in March Amid THAAD Row
It’s official – new numbers from March confirm that China’s THAAD retaliation has significantly cut into South Korea’s tourism industry.
China: Challenges for the Next South Korean Administration
A question frequently asked is whether the next South Korean administration will tilt towards China and away from the United States, based on Seoul’s purportedly shifting perception of the relative importance of the two countries. In reality, it is not helpful to judge whether the United States or China are more important to the Republic of Korea. There is no simple reply to the general question and, honestly, there is no reason to answer it.
A Conversation on THAAD from the Chinese Perspective
KEI Communications Director Jenna Gibson, host of the KEI podcast Korean Kontext, recently interviewed Yun Sun, Senior Associate with the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center, about the Chinese perspective on the THAAD missile defense system.
Why is China so upset about THAAD?
The decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea has been controversial in South Korea, and predictably has been condemned by North Korea, but, judging by headlines and official statements, seems to have upset the Chinese more than anyone else.