Foreign Relations

Security and political issues over the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula remain as flashpoints in East Asia since WWII. The authors argue that economic interdependence, together with negotiations and…

Since the end of the Korean War, the United States has been the largest supplier of defense systems to the Republic of Korea (ROK). The imperative of maintaining military interoperability…

This PDF is the full publication and contains all of the following sections: KEI Board of Directors KEI Advisory Council Preface Bilateral Competition and Cooperation Under New Leadership Introduction by…

In the first months of 2013 the leadership transitions in Northeast Asia were completed. After a year in office Kim Jong-un was consolidating his grip on power and clarifying, through…

By Jessica Choi A few days ago, I went to my friend’s favorite local Japanese sushi bar for the first time, and I noticed that there was bulgogi (Korean beef bbq) on the menu.  My interest was piqued, so I decided to try speaking Korean to the waitress.  Lo and behold, it turns out that…

By Jae-kyung Park Early last month, the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China exchanged harsh words publically on the issue of South China Sea. On August 3, the U.S. State Department issued a press statement with the heading of ‘South China Sea’. The words therein are carefully and considerately crafted,…

By Sarah K. Yun As leaders of the Asia-Pacific nations gathered for the 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Vladivostok, Russia on September 8-9, the ongoing effects of the euro crisis and global financial crisis added urgency to their efforts to increase regional economic growth and give APEC a leading role in the…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz Last week North Korea and Japan held their first government-to-government talks in four years. These discussions seemed to be a part of a summer of diplomatic outreach by North Korea. The meetings centered on handling the remains of Japanese soldiers that were killed on the Korean peninsula during World War II. Japan…