Politics

The U.S. rebalance to Asia continues to stir debate in South Korea. This debate has thus far been carried out via the discussion of the political elite on what the…

On Korea vol 7 provides great examples of the breadth and depth of issues centered on Korea and those that affect the U.S.-Korea alliance. These papers are original pieces written…

The Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) is a regional cooperation mechanism among Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and Russian Federation which is supported…

The North Korean government pursues illicit avenues to satiate the appetites of its top leaders, continue to develop Pyongyang’s weapons programs, obtain currency, and strengthen the elite’s allegiance to the…

What Happened The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy announced earlier this week to put some nuclear reactors back in operation to meet the public’s energy demand amid the ongoing heatwave. The government is also urging businesses and the public to roll back their electricity consumption as current demand threatens to outstrip supply. The increased demand for electricity has…

What Happened Lawmakers have proposed two new bills to ban the discrimination of individuals based on gender, ethnicity, age, and other identities. A petition calling for the bill to be brought to the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee has gained traction, receiving over 100,000 signatures within 30 days. Even with overwhelming support from the public, anti-discrimination laws have…

The long 2020 is behind us and expectations for President Joe Biden could not be higher. Many constituents demand that the new U.S. administration fix not only what Mr. Trump damaged during his four years in office but also parts of society that were broken long before the 2016 election. President Biden no doubt realizes…

What Happened Lee Jun Seok is emerging as the leading candidate in the race for the chairmanship of the main opposition party. Lee has been openly critical of the Moon Jae-in administration’s efforts to have a gender quota in his cabinet appointments. The ruling Democratic Party’s candidates were soundly defeated in recent mayoral elections in Seoul and Busan, largely…