Introduction: Beyond the Arms Export StoryKorea’s defense industry has spent the past three years moving from being a notable arms exporter to becoming a structural participant in the production networks of major allies. The shift is visible in headline contracts.
Beyond the Denuclearization–Engagement BinarySouth Korea’s diplomacy toward North Korea has long been trapped between two familiar but insufficient choices. One is a principled but often unrealistic insistence on immediate denuclearization. The other is an engagement-oriented approach that is easily criticized
IntroductionBilateral social security agreements are essential in today’s globalized world to guarantee expatriates’ welfare, facilitate international labor mobility, and promote global cooperation. They prevent migrant workers from paying social security contributions in two countries at the same time, coordinate the
The Myth of the Multipolar Buffer in a Bipolar RealityFor a diverse, geographically dispersed array of middle powers spanning from the institutional, regulatory corridors of Brussels to the dynamic, diplomatic hubs of Jakarta and Singapore, the absolute defining strategic puzzle
President Lee Jae-myung’s April 2026 state visit to Vietnam was framed by a rare symmetry of diplomatic timing. General Secretary To Lam had been the first state guest received by the Lee administration in Seoul; Lee, in turn, became the
The release of Japan’s 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s subsequent declaration on constitutional revision represent more than just a change in wording; they signal a fundamental pivot in the Tokyo-Beijing-Washington triangle. For decades, Japan’s foreign policy was
IntroductionAs Korea and Bulgaria mark the 36th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026, their bilateral ties are entering a new phase defined less by symbolism and more by converging strategic interests. What was once a relationship characterized largely by cordial
Introduction: The Geopolitics of Digital RegulationThe politics of digital regulation has become one of the clearest examples of how economics, technology, and geopolitics now overlap. What might once have looked like a technical debate over competition law, online safety, or
IntroductionThe Korean nuclear debate has been among the hidden political taboos in the Korean political agenda and inter-Korean relations for more than five decades. Yet, President Trump’s decision to re-deploy the U.S. Terminal High Attitude Area Defense (THAAD) system from
Cooperation in an Age of TensionThe Korean Peninsula today is defined by a paradox. Political and military tensions remain deeply entrenched, with inter-Korean dialogue largely frozen and security concerns once again dominating the agenda. Yet at the same time, the