Politics

A common problem facing students of the economy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is the shortage of available statistics. It is extremely challenging to procure DPRK data,…

Rocky roads conjure images of pitfalls and jarring bumps on a tortuous journey toward some desired destination, without assurance that some calamity will not bar the way to the hoped-for…

Between winning the election in December 2007 and taking office in February 2008, Lee Myungbak and his administration sketched out a massive reform program that would potentially affect every aspect…

North Korea’s economy has been on the verge of collapse since the beginning of the second nuclear crisis in 2002 because of the international community’s growing sanctions and pressure. The…

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…

What Happened On May 21, Moon Jae-in and Joe Biden met to discuss the US-ROK alliance, vaccine partnerships, supply chains, and North Korea. Shortly after the summit, Moon announced a joint agreement on removing guidelines that limit the distance South Korean missiles can travel. The move is seen as a path for South Korea to develop greater sovereignty over its domestic…

What Happened In a May 10 speech, Moon explained that the opposition's mayoral victories in April reflected the public’s dissatisfaction with the ruling Democratic Party’s handling of the housing issue. In response, Moon promised to modify several housing policies. A poll from May 7 shows that many view the housing situation as one of the most important current issues, second…

What Happened On the week of April 25, North Korean defector group, Fighters for a Free North Korea, launched balloons with anti-DPRK messages into North Korea. These balloons were launched in defiance of South Korea’s anti-leaflet bill, which was finalized by the National Assembly in March in concert with efforts to improve relations with Pyongyang. Seoul’s Metropolitan…