Korean Kontext

Aug 01 2024 20 ep. 62 mins 2.4k

Korean Kontext Podcast artwork

Korean Kontext is an initiative by the Korea Economic Institute in Washington, D.C. Its aim is to provide listeners with a source for broad-based, substantive information about the U.S.-Korean relationship from all angles: political, cultural, economic, and social. Tackling major topics using current and historical context, interviews with prominent policy leaders, scholars,and artists, and in-depth analysis, Korean Kontext is crafted to inform the newcomer and the Korea guru alike.

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NATO and the Indo-Pacific Partners

Aug 01 2024 89 mins

[KEI is registered under the FARA as an agent of the KIEP, a public corporation established by the government of the Republic of Korea. Additional information is available at the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC.] NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit was held in Washington, DC, on July 9–11, and its Indo-Pacific Partners (IP4)—Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand—at

What are Domestic Politics Doing to the U.S.-Korea Alliance?

Mar 07 2024 61 mins

In April 2023, the United States and South Korea marked the 70th anniversary of an alliance that has served the strategic interests of both countries. Their relationship has expanded beyond security issues to include trade, technology, and other important policy areas. However, the alliance now faces challenges from changing notions of national interests and political polarization

Charting China’s Use of Armed Coercion: James Siebens (Part 2)

Feb 29 2024 40 mins

Building on last year’s "Rethinking Korea initiative," in 2024 KEI will continue to explore the evolution of US-Korea relations, Korea's place in the world, rapid changes in Korean society, and a fast changing geopolitical and strategic landscape. The initiative involves both retrospective inquiry as well as prospective analysis about future trends. Our guest today is intently fo

Charting China’s Use of Armed Coercion: James Siebens (Part 1)

Feb 22 2024 45 mins

Building on last year’s "Rethinking Korea initiative," in 2024 KEI will continue to explore the evolution of US-Korea relations, Korea's place in the world, rapid changes in Korean society, and a fast changing geopolitical and strategic landscape. The initiative involves both retrospective inquiry as well as prospective analysis about future trends. Our guest today is intently fo

Where are North Korea's Relations with Russia Headed?

Feb 15 2024 57 mins

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, North Korea has embraced relations with Russia as a key component of its foreign policy and domestic development. However, Russia’s need for North Korean artillery and weapons to conduct its war in Ukraine also create a different dynamic between the two countries than during the Cold War. This new dynamic and the unknown outcome o

The U.S.-ROK-DPRK Strategic Triangle in the Indo-Pacific Era

Feb 08 2024 60 mins

On August 17, 2023, KEI held a program on the U.S.-South Korea-North Korea Strategic Triangle in the Indo-Pacific Era. The program featured Scott Snyder’s work to help better understand: the evolution in perceptions of the three main actors in the U.S.-South Korea-North Korea triangle, including their respective approaches to one another and interactions with China; the main impa

How Can Korea and Australia Cooperate in the Indo-Pacific?

Feb 01 2024 60 mins

On August 30, 2023, KEI hosted a discussion with Prof. Rory Medcalf on South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and Middle Power Convergence with Australia. Over the past decade, the concept of the “Indo-Pacific” has replaced the late 20th century “Asia-Pacific” as a central frame of reference for strategy and external policy. Although the Indo-Pacific is often associated part

Energy Insecurity: How Resource-Poor Korea and Japan Powered Their Economies

Jan 25 2024 57 mins

Despite being industrial powerhouses, Korea and Japan are both resource-poor nations with limited domestic sources of energy. Powering their economies required both to develop supply chains for fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable energy to power their economies. However, different domestic political constraints resulted in differing approaches to achieving energy security. O

The Costs of War: Deepening North Korea-Russia Ties

Jan 18 2024 70 mins

Relations between Russia and North Korea are growing closer. Pyongyang has been publically supportive of Russia’s war in Ukraine and is reported to have supplied Moscow with millions of artillery shells. Kim Jong-un met with Vladimir Putin at Vostochny Cosmodrome and discussed deepening their military relationship and providing Russia with additional military supplies. These deep

Economic Security and U.S.-China Competition: The View From North Korea

Jan 11 2024 61 mins

KEI is pleased to hold a program on Economic Security and U.S.-China Competition: The View From North Korea. One country is conspicuously missing from existing discussions about the dilemmas and opportunities that U.S.-China strategic competition poses to various stakeholders in matters related to global economic security: North Korea. North Korea is an interesting piece of the puz