Foreign Relations

Globalization is a hallmark of the twenty first-century world. As transportation and telecommunications grow in both efficiency and level of performance and as the ambit of the Internet expands, it…

In the field of international security, few connections have been made between the Korean peninsula with the Middle East. Traditional regional studies literature focuses on Korean issues within the Asia…

The denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) continues to be a source of considerable international concern. Yet, no coherent international framework has emerged to deal with this…

The global community has plainly noticed the critical role played by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in inducing change in North Korea’s diplomatic behavior, particularly with respect to the…

Since democratization in 1987, South Korea’s progressive parties have produced less than half of the presidents elected to office. During their brief tenures, however, these administrations have deployed troops to Iraq, negotiated the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and overseen the expansion of the country’s defense budget and capabilities. Despite this record, South Korea’s progressive foreign…

What Happened: Anti-China sentiments are increasing over allegations that Korean athletes at the Winter Olympics are being treated unfairly to advantage Chinese competitors. In response to widespread discussions on these incidents, candidates in the upcoming presidential election made public comments on these allegations. South Koreans were further infuriated with the display of traditional Korean attire…

A Chinese woman dressed in traditional Korean clothing (hanbok) at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony ignited another wave of popular backlash towards China in Korea. South Korean viewers accused China of cultural appropriation, while China claimed it was representing the ethnic Korean minority. Coming on the heels of similar incidents in which China…

What Happened: On February 1, Tokyo moved forward with the recommendation that a gold and silver mine on Sado Island that had used forced labor during WWII receive UNESCO heritage status. Seoul described Tokyo’s move as an attempt “to cause conflict with member states and politicize UNESCO.” In 2015, the coal mine on Hashima Island…