Security

With North Korea becoming an increasingly dangerous threat to the U.S. and its allies, it can be all too easy to overlook North Korea’s origins and how its foreign policy…

As North Korea's largest trading partner and political ally, China is a crucial factor in any potential solution to curb North Korea's weapons programs. President Trump expressed hope earlier this year…

In December 1950, while fighting the advancing Chinese army and bitter Korean winter, Colonel Edward Forney and other American and Korean officers managed to evacuate all troops as well as…

On May 10, former human rights lawyer Moon Jae-In officially became the next president of South Korea, filling an office that had been empty since former President Park Geun-Hye's impeachment…

This policy brief offers a concise summary and set of recommendations from a longer paper, featured in the Fall/Winter issue of KEI’s flagship journal Korea Policy. The full paper can be found here and the entire Korea Policy issue here. Executive Summary In the past decade, the US and South Korea faced a relatively narrow…

Uncertainty prevails when it comes to the incoming Donald Trump administration and the US-ROK alliance. Observers are feverishly speculating on a range of potential policy trajectories from universal and across-the-board 10-20 percent tariffs, obstructed implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and less flexible US export controls to increased cost- and burden-sharing demands related to…

Update on October 23, 2024: Since this article was published, US authorities have also said North Korean soldiers are in Russia. The evidence of a deepening military axis between North Korea and Russia has been mounting in recent days, causing alarm from Kyiv to Seoul. In the latest development, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS)…

South Korea’s defense industry, known domestically as “K-Bangsan,” is emerging as a major global player. Defense exports (in terms of orders) have skyrocketed in recent years, having exported a total of $38 billion from 2021 to 2023 ($7.3 billion in 2021, $17.3 billion in 2022, and $13.5 billion last year). That comes to an annual…

Please join KEI for a discussion of how North Korea is handling the outbreak of COVID-19 and how the international community could help.

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 the Korea Economic Institute for a discussion on the 2022 South Korean presidential election with political analyst Park Sung-min.

As disruptions in supply chains continue, what practical steps can the U.S. and Korea take to strengthen supply chains against future crises?

Please join KEI for a conversation Mr. Kim Won-soo on the historical importance of two countries joining the UN, South Korea’s contribution to multilateral institutions, and the role of the UN in diplomacy with North Korea.