Korean Kontext podcast

31:01

National Geographic photographer and conservationist Jaime Rojo has spent decades capturing the beauty and fragility of the monarch butterfly. Their epic migration is one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles, but their survival is under threat. In this episode, Jaime shares how his passion for photography and conservation led him to document the monarchs’ journey. He and host Brian Lowery discuss the deeper story behind his award-winning images, one about resilience, connection, and the urgent need to protect our natural world. See Jaime's story on the monarch butterflies at his website: rojovisuals.com , and follow Brian Lowery at knowwhatyousee.com .…

Korean Kontext

maison des série•Feed

News and analysis of issues affecting the Korean Peninsula. Discussions on culture, politics, human rights, economics, and more.

32 episodes

Korean Kontext

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updated il y a un an

maison des série•Feed

News and analysis of issues affecting the Korean Peninsula. Discussions on culture, politics, human rights, economics, and more.

32 episodes

Tous les épisodes

Korean Kontext

1
What Are Current American Attitudes Toward the Korean Peninsula? 27:47

il y a 15 weeks27:47

27:47

Scott Snyder and James Kim of KEI sat down with Dina Smeltz from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs to discuss the results of KEI's 5th Annual Survey Report, and the current perceptions Americans have towards the Korean Peninsula. This is a follow-up conversation to the live event KEI hosted about the survey results. You can find that event here: https://youtube.com/live/IQdVPZOKGpo?feature=share .…

Korean Kontext

1
NATO and the Indo-Pacific Partners 1:29:49

il y a 30 weeks1:29:49

1:29:49

[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—attended as they did NATO’s 2022 Madrid and 2023 Vilnius summits. NATO has made clear that although it remains dedicated to the defense of its Transatlantic area, the challenges with which it is dealing are global and immediate. The attendance of the IP4 is a demonstration that NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners perceive common interests in coping with an increasingly dangerous world. On July 18, 2024 KEI hosted a discussion of the Washington NATO Summit and the future of cooperation with the IP4 with NATO’s Director for Partnerships and Global Affairs, Kristian Meszaros, and leading experts on Japan, Korea, and Australia and New Zealand: Mirna Galic from USIP, Dr. Hyun Ji Rim from SAIS, and Kathryn Paik from CSIS. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Clint Work, Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs from KEI.…

Korean Kontext

1
What are Domestic Politics Doing to the U.S.-Korea Alliance? 1:01:00

il y a 51 weeks1:01:00

1:01:00

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 in both countries. On January 16, 2024, KEI hosted a discussion with Scott Snyder, author of The U.S.-Korea Alliance: Why It May Fail and Why It Must Not, on what domestic political developments in both countries mean for the future of the U.S.-Korea alliance.…

Korean Kontext

1
Charting China’s Use of Armed Coercion: James Siebens (Part 2) 40:47

il y a 1 year40:47

40:47

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 focused on the role of armed coercion as a tool of foreign policy employed by both the United States and China and how other states perceive and respond to it. James A. Siebens is a Fellow with Stimson Center’s Reimagining US Grand Strategy program, where he leads the Defense Strategy and Planning project. His research focuses on grand strategy, military coercion, and gray zone conflict. Building on a co-edited volume titled, Military Coercion and U.S. Foreign Policy: The Use of Force Short of War (Routledge 2020) , a book on U.S. strategy and military operations since the end of the Cold War, James is also the editor of China’s Use of Armed Coercion: To Win Without Fighting (Routledge 2023), a recently published study on China’s use of military and paramilitary forces for purposes of coercion. The second part of our conversation focuses on the application of his analysis to the Korean Peninsula – both historically and in a more contemporary context – and James’ thoughts on what the United States has gotten right and wrong on China and some related policy recommendations. The book, "China's Use of Armed Coercion: To Win Without Fighting," can be found here . A shorter piece by James A. Siebens examining the effectiveness of China's use of armed coercion may be found here .…

Korean Kontext

1
Charting China’s Use of Armed Coercion: James Siebens (Part 1) 45:38

il y a 1 year45:38

45:38

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 focused on the role of armed coercion as a tool of foreign policy employed by both the United States and China and how other states perceive and respond to it. James A. Siebens is a Fellow with Stimson Center’s Reimagining US Grand Strategy program, where he leads the Defense Strategy and Planning project. His research focuses on grand strategy, military coercion, and gray zone conflict. Building on a co-edited volume titled, Military Coercion and U.S. Foreign Policy: The Use of Force Short of War (Routledge 2020) , a book on U.S. strategy and military operations since the end of the Cold War, James is also the editor of China’s Use of Armed Coercion: To Win Without Fighting (Routledge 2023), a recently published study on China’s use of military and paramilitary forces for purposes of coercion. Our conversation is split into two parts, the first of which focuses on: the motivation behind his latest book project and what sets it apart from other work on China; key terms and concepts used throughout the book, such as coercion, deterrence and compellence; and the overall content and structure of the book as well as some of the representative examples of China’s use of armed coercion and whether they were effective. The book, "China's Use of Armed Coercion: To Win Without Fighting," can be found here . A shorter piece by James A. Siebens examining the effectiveness of China's use of armed coercion may be found here .…

Korean Kontext

1
Where are North Korea's Relations with Russia Headed? 57:15

il y a 1 year57:15

57:15

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 of the war in Ukraine raise questions about the long-term viability of deepening ties between North Korea and Russia, as well as Pyongyang’s choice to deepen relations with Moscow and to a lesser extent Beijing, rather than seeking to improve relations with Washington and Seoul. On February 8, 2024, KEI hosted a discussion on these and other issues related to the growing relationship between North Korea and Russia with long-time North Korea expert Dr. Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University.…

Korean Kontext

1
The U.S.-ROK-DPRK Strategic Triangle in the Indo-Pacific Era 1:00:04

il y a 1 year1:00:04

1:00:04

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 impacts of U.S.-China rivalry on their respective postures and priorities; and the future trajectory of both U.S.-South Korea-North Korea triangular relations and great power relations in the region.…

Korean Kontext

1
How Can Korea and Australia Cooperate in the Indo-Pacific? 1:00:36

il y a 1 year1:00:36

1:00:36

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 particularly with Japan and its influential prime minister the late Abe Shinzo, in fact, Australia was the first country to formally recognize the Indo-Pacific as its regional security environment. As a fellow middle power and independent-minded U.S. ally, with its own geopolitical complexities to navigate, Australia provides an illuminating example for South Korea as it operationalizes its Indo-Pacific strategy.…

Korean Kontext

1
Energy Insecurity: How Resource-Poor Korea and Japan Powered Their Economies 57:00

il y a 1 year57:00

57:00

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. On September 21, 2023, KEI hosted a discussion on Korea and Japan’s efforts to achieve energy security with Dr. Seong-ik Oh who discussed his new book, Overseas Energy Investment of Korea and Japan: How did Two East Asian Resources-Rare Industrial Giants Respond to Energy Security Challenges.…

Korean Kontext

1
The Costs of War: Deepening North Korea-Russia Ties 1:10:23

il y a 1 year1:10:23

1:10:23

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 deepening ties also raise a series of questions related to geostrategic competition in Northeast Asia, the war in Ukraine, the future of UN sanctions, and the prospects for North Korean denuclearization. On October 5, 2023, KEI hosted a discussion of these and other pressing questions about North Korea’s deepening ties with Russia.…

Korean Kontext

1
Economic Security and U.S.-China Competition: The View From North Korea 1:01:03

il y a 1 year1:01:03

1:01:03

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 puzzle because it is certainly not a key player in the regional or global economy. Quite unlike its neighboring states, North Korea’s place in global supply chains is minimal at best. Yet, North Korea remains important because it is a major player in the Northeast Asian security landscape. Any key political and economic decisions this nuclear-armed state makes in this volatile region have profound implications for the security and economy of the world. And Pyongyang’s views of U.S.-China competition and its economic and political fallout will be a central component of its near- to long-term policy calculus. North Korea’s view of the Russia factor in U.S.-China competition and the shifting global order is also of relevance. Listen to KEI’s October 11, 2023 program with Rachel Minyoung Lee, which offers a discussion of how North Korea perceives “economic security” and U.S.-China strategic competition; how its views of U.S.-China relations and the changing global order have reshaped Pyongyang’s foreign and economic policy; and the opportunities and challenges that the geopolitics and geoeconomics of U.S.-China competition pose to Pyongyang.…

Korean Kontext

1
Rhetoric Vs. Reality: Seoul and Washington’s Strategic Alignment on Taiwan 56:01

il y a 1 year56:01

56:01

Seoul has gradually adopted a more outspoken position regarding the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and framed it in increasingly expansive terms—as a regional and global issue yet also directly linked to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. Nevertheless, the U.S.-ROK alliance faces a gap between such rhetoric and its political, military, and operational preparedness to navigate an actual conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan and the attendant risk of a simultaneous conflict in Korea. KEI Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs, Clint Work, sat down to discuss his recent Korea Policy paper, Rhetoric vs. Reality: Seoul & Washington’s Strategic Alignment on Taiwan, with Markus Garlauskas, director of the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.…

Korean Kontext

1
Korea’s Cultural Wave: The Story Behind the Strength 1:14:45

il y a 1 year1:14:45

1:14:45

From K-pop to K-drama and food, Korean culture has taken the globe by storm. Korean artists are topping the Billboard charts, Korean films are winning Oscars, and Korean kimbap at Trader Joe’s went viral online. Cultural interest is also behind the growth of students learning Korean in the United States when interest in foreign languages is going down in general. What drives this interest and resonates with people across the globe? What role does Korean popular culture play as a form of soft power and cultural diplomacy in the United States? What are some aspects of Korean culture that are often misunderstood? Join us for a conversation with Amb. Jie-ae Sohn, South Korean Ambassador for Cultural Cooperation, to learn more about the story behind Korea’s cultural wave, moderated by KEI President Ambassador Kathleen Stephens.…

Korean Kontext

1
South Korea: Caught in the Crosshairs of U.S. China Competition Over Semiconductors 1:03:04

il y a 1 year1:03:04

1:03:04

Countries with advanced semiconductor industries are caught in the middle of growing U.S.-China competition in technology focused on advanced computing. While some countries with key technology companies in the toolmaking sector have been drawn into the competition previously, South Korea and its national champions, Samsung and SK Hynix, have arguably incurred some of the most significant pressure. These firms have billions of dollars of sunk investment in China-based facilities and the future of these facilities remains in doubt after a series of new U.S. measures unleashed by the U.S. Commerce Department. South Korean companies are also players in other parts of the global semiconductor supply chain, including semiconductor manufacturing tools, and China remains an important market for both components and electronic devices. Each country caught in the U.S.-China technology competition faces difficult tradeoffs in determining how best to support its leading companies while navigating changing and often arbitrary U.S. decisions that have already significantly disrupted global supply chains. Finally, at the same time as U.S. export controls have impacted South Korean companies’ ability to retain business operations and market access in China, major front-end manufacturers, particularly Samsung, are also looking to expand their operations in the United States and benefit from the U.S. CHIPS Act. All of this puts South Korea in one of the more complex positions as the industry faces continued restructuring, buffeted by both export controls and industrial policies. Please join KEI as Mr. Paul Triolo sheds a greater light on the dynamics of these challenges for both Seoul and South Korean technology players.…

Korean Kontext

1
The ROK-U.S. Alliance at 70: Expanding Diplomatic Horizons Through Public Diplomacy 1:29:33

il y a 1 year1:29:33