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Global Affairs Lab
The Case for Korean Collaboration in Advancing U.S. Naval Power
In a recent press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence, U.S. President Donald Trump made a striking announcement about the future of American naval shipbuilding. Detailing plans for a new class of frigates for the United States Navy, he confirmed that the project will involve close collaboration with a South Korean firm, Hanwha, calling it a “good company” and signaling a broader strategic partnership. “Last week, the Navy announced a brand new class of frigate and they’re
What Samsung Biologics’ U.S. Investment Reveals About the Future of the Korea–U.S. Alliance
The Korea–U.S. relationship is no longer defined solely by security cooperation. In today’s global economy, the true center of gravity of the alliance lies in supply chains, advanced manufacturing, and strategic decisions about where production takes place . Samsung Biologics’ decision to acquire a U.S.-based biologics manufacturing facility is a clear signal that the bilateral relationship has entered a more mature and consequential phase. Samsung Biologics’ $280 million acq
Why Korea–U.S. AI Cooperation Will Strengthen America’s Industrial Future
At a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the backbone of modern industry, the question facing the United States is no longer whether to lead in AI, but how to scale that leadership across the real economy. In that effort, deeper cooperation with South Korea may prove to be one of America’s most underappreciated strategic advantages. The United States remains the global leader in foundational AI technologies—advanced algorithms, frontier models, and semicondu
Why South Korea Is Wrong to Treat the Sino-Japanese Clash as Someone Else’s Problem
The recent surge in tensions between China and Japan, triggered by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in the Japanese Diet, has been widely followed in Seoul with a sense of detachment. For many in South Korea, the episode appears to be little more than a bilateral dispute—an external confrontation with limited bearing on the Korean Peninsula. This perception is not merely complacent; it is strategically flawed. The current Sino-Japanese confrontation is unfolding not du
Why Kim Jong Un’s Daughter Matters to U.S. Security Interests
The recent appearance of Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, receiving an independent salute from North Korean Air Force officers may seem like an obscure detail of Pyongyang’s opaque political theater. For the United States, however, it offers a revealing window into the regime’s long-term intentions — and raises important questions about the durability and future trajectory of one of Washington’s most persistent security challenges. According to North Korean state media, the
Russian, Chinese Bombers Fly Joint Patrol Near Japan, South Korea
Russian and Chinese bombers conducted a joint patrol Tuesday, flying over the East China Sea and Western Pacific, prompting Seoul and Tokyo to scramble fighter aircraft to monitor the flights. At approximately 10:00 a.m. local time, seven Russian military aircraft and two Chinese military aircraft entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) over the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the same day in a news release . No airspace violation occ
MAGA Figures Announce Engagements at White House Celebration
WASHINGTON — What began as a festive White House gathering quickly turned into a moment of personal announcements for several prominent figures in former President Donald Trump’s political orbit, as engagement news rippled through the crowd and lit up conservative social media. Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest son, confirmed his engagement during the event, marking the third such milestone in his personal life. Trump Jr. married his first wife, Vanessa Trump, i
From the White House Stage, Trump Claims Economic Comeback and Shifts Blame to Biden
WASHINGTON — Standing beneath the bright lights of the White House on the evening of the 17th, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered an 18-minute nationally televised address aimed squarely at American voters uneasy about the economy. With midterm elections looming next year and inflation still weighing on household budgets, Trump cast himself as the architect of a dramatic turnaround — and his predecessor as the source of the nation’s troubles. “I inherited a country in chao
Student Loan Defaults Surge Across the U.S. as Young Borrowers Say They Simply Can’t Pay
NEW YORK — On a gray weekday morning outside a federal loan servicing office in downtown Manhattan, recent graduates shuffled past with envelopes in hand, many of them unopened. “I already know what it says,” said 26-year-old Emily Rodriguez, who finished college two years ago and has yet to make her first student loan payment. “I don’t have the money.” Scenes like this are becoming increasingly common across the United States as student loan delinquencies spike following the
Global Data Protection Standards Through the Response to the Coupang Data Breach
Executive Summary This report examines global data protection standards through the lens of South Korea’s regulatory response to the large-scale data breach involving Coupang. Affecting approximately 33.7 million user accounts, the incident provides a useful case study for understanding how governments respond when personal data exposure reaches population-scale proportions. Rather than assessing the incident as a company-specific or country-specific controversy, this analysi
Why Korea–U.S. AI Cooperation Will Strengthen America’s Industrial Future
At a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the backbone of modern industry, the question facing the United States is no longer whether to lead in AI, but how to scale that leadership across the real economy. In that effort, deeper cooperation with South Korea may prove to be one of America’s most underappreciated strategic advantages. The United States remains the global leader in foundational AI technologies—advanced algorithms, frontier models, and semicondu
Why South Korea Is Wrong to Treat the Sino-Japanese Clash as Someone Else’s Problem
The recent surge in tensions between China and Japan, triggered by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in the Japanese Diet, has been widely followed in Seoul with a sense of detachment. For many in South Korea, the episode appears to be little more than a bilateral dispute—an external confrontation with limited bearing on the Korean Peninsula. This perception is not merely complacent; it is strategically flawed. The current Sino-Japanese confrontation is unfolding not du
Global Data Protection Standards Through the Response to the Coupang Data Breach
Executive Summary This report examines global data protection standards through the lens of South Korea’s regulatory response to the large-scale data breach involving Coupang. Affecting approximately 33.7 million user accounts, the incident provides a useful case study for understanding how governments respond when personal data exposure reaches population-scale proportions. Rather than assessing the incident as a company-specific or country-specific controversy, this analysi
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