Domestic

With North Korea announcing to the world that it will be attempting to launch a second satellite for 2012, many analysts have been speculating as to why Pyongyang is so…

In this episode we spoke to The Economist’s South Korea correspondent, Daniel Tudor. Having been based in Korea for over a decade, Tudor has just finished writing one of the…

With worldwide familiarity of Korean pop culture increasing through the viral exposure of Korean musician Psy’s hit record “Gangnam Style”, this episode Korean Kontext speaks to Mark James Russell, author…

Korean Kontext caught up with Man Asian literary prize winner Shin Kyung-sook for a chat about her latest novel, “Please Look After Mom”.  Shin became the first woman and South…

What Happened The Korean government adopted a mandate requiring people to show their vaccine passports when accessing libraries and tutoring facilities. Nationwide polling showed overall public support for the government’s requirement for vaccine passports when accessing these institutions, but 40.4% expressed opposition. Meanwhile, 76.8% supported similar measures for entry to restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and stores. Implications: Korean society…

What Happened Public health mandate requiring vaccine passes to enter restaurants, grocery stores, and cafes incited backlash from foreign nationals whose overseas vaccinations were not recognized. Seoul amended its vaccine pass requirement for foreign nationals after a U.S.-led embassy protest. Prior to the changes, the U.S. military issued its own vaccine documents that were recognized by South Korean…

In the first few days of December each year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issues an annual Global Humanitarian Overview focusing on current humanitarian trouble spots and setting the agenda for UN humanitarian aid in the coming year.  The 2022 Global Humanitarian Overview issued December 2 this year, projected…

Popular culture can amplify a country’s soft power - and much has been made about K-pop’s contributions to South Korea’s ability to reach a global audience. However, these cultural assets are often constrained and cut down to size by the country’s own toxic political discourse. In Korea, anti-feminist ideology may become the breakwater to the…

The conversation will be livestreamed on YouTube.

Please join KEI and KIEP for a discussion about the first 10 years of KORUS and the future of the U.S.-Korea economic relationship.

Please join KEI for a discussion on American attitudes towards the Korean Peninsula after the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Please join KEI for a discussion on how COVID-19 has affected the growing rivalry between the United States and China.