What Happens to the U.S.-Korea Trade Deal With IEEPA Off the Table?

The Trump administration’s ability to levy tariffs in other ways will likely persuade South Korea to keep its investment commitments under the tariff deal.

Trilateralism Through Transition: Reflections on U.S.-South Korea-Japan Cooperation From Experts and Emerging Leaders

South Korea Faces Policy Bind as GDP Contracts

Data shows that 2025 GDP rose 1 percent above 2024, but a surge in the third quarter did not continue through the end of the...

Redrawing America’s Security Bargains in Northeast Asia

The Trump administration’s attempts to redraw the security bargains with South Korea and Japan are creating growing tension and uncertainty.

How APEC 2025 Laid the Path for Addressing South Korea’s Demographic Challenge

The real significance of South Korea’s successful 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit lies in the Lee administration’s decision to make demographics a major part...

U.S.-South Korea Relations in 2026: Key Issues to Watch

From alliance recalibration to the "Korea Discount," KEI experts analyze the critical issues shaping U.S.–South Korea relations in 2026.

Where Korea-China Ties Are Heading Following the Lee-Xi Summit

“China for economy, U.S. for security” is no longer tenable; time will tell just how this new Korea-China relationship will take shape.

What May Be Driving Trump’s Latest Tariff Threat Against South Korea

Investment commitments, tariff deals, and bilateral MOUs may now have to be completed with the caveat in mind that anything can change at a moment’s...

Lee Jae Myung Tests South Korea’s Pragmatic Diplomacy Between China and Japan

Seoul signaled commitment to a regional policy of pragmatic diplomacy, economic security, and broader regional stabilization.

U.S.-South Korea AI Cooperation and the Future of Work

The foundation of AI, including advanced chips, memory, sensors, and compute capacity, is where the U.S. and Korean supply chains are the most intertwined.

South Korea’s Economic Rebound is Projected to Continue

While Korea’s export growth in 2025 slowed due to protectionist trade policies, real GDP growth was expected to pick up in 2026.

2025 Year in Review: Progress, Tensions, and What Comes Next for South Korea and Japan

2025 was always going to be significant because it was the fiftieth anniversary of the two countries establishing diplomatic relations.

2025 Year in Review: Policy Uncertainty and Global Economic Resilience

Korea’s cosmetics industry has moved beyond trend-driven consumption and matured into a key export pillar.

The Rise of K-Beauty and the Economic Implications for South Korea

Korea’s cosmetics industry has moved beyond trend-driven consumption and matured into a key export pillar.

Why a More Insular Chinese Economy Could Spell Bad News for South Korea

As China revises its plan for self-reliance on technological development, tensions could rise around structural dilemmas this presents to South Korea.