Global Affairs Lab

The U.S. Air Force in South Korea will soon implement new security procedures by taking over management of the last gate at Osan Air Base that has been jointly operated with the South Korean military, officials confirmed Thursday. The adjustment follows a U.S. protest lodged earlier this year after a special counsel team entered the base in Pyeongtaek—about 65 kilometers south of Seoul—during a July raid tied to its investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's unsucces

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 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

North Korea’s decision to dispatch troops to Russia’s war in Ukraine was designed to serve multiple strategic purposes: to demonstrate loyalty to Moscow, to extract hard currency and advanced military technology, and to reinforce Kim Jong-un’s narrative of North Korea as a consequential military actor beyond the Korean Peninsula. Yet mounting evidence suggests that this gamble is unraveling—and with consequences far more destabilizing than Pyongyang appears to have anticipate

Samsung Electronics of South Korea has introduced a new smartphone—the Galaxy S25 Edge—that makes a striking first impression with one standout feature: its thickness, or rather, the lack of it. Lee Ji-young, Executive Vice President of Samsung’s design team, described it in one sentence: “A model that strips away the unnecessary and completes the most essential form.” Its slim and lightweight appearance is further accentuated through harmony with color, material, and finishi

Travel habits among the younger generation are rapidly evolving. Moving beyond simple sightseeing, there is a growing trend of “purpose-driven travel” focused on specific interests such as watching sports events, wellness retreats, extreme adventures, and culinary exploration. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Millennials and Gen Z have redefined the meaning of travel—not just as a way to relax, but as a meaningful activity that reflects personal hobbies and passions. In particula

This article paints an imagined scene of what life could look like if North Koreans had unrestricted access to global pop culture. In a university classroom in Pyongyang, film students sit in rapt attention, watching the climax of The Shawshank Redemption. As Andy Dufresne stretches out his arms in the rain, embracing freedom, gasps of admiration ripple through the room. Kim Young-chul (21), a junior student, walks down the hallway with friends after class and says, “I wish N

“Bravo! Madame Sumi!” Inside the Opéra-Comique in Paris, under the applause of French dignitaries, South Korean soprano Sumi Jo (61), elegantly dressed in a hanbok, slowly stepped onto the stage. Awaiting her was the Commandeur rank—the highest grade of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, awarded for significant contributions in the fields of arts and culture. On May 26, Sumi Jo will officially receive the honor—a rare distinction for a Korean national. The medal is expec

In the photo, Trump is seen visiting Korea, walking through the Okpo Shipyard and inspecting ships under construction. He also posed for a commemorative photo with his entourage in front of the main building. According to reports at the time, Trump showed interest in Korea’s shipbuilding industry. A shipyard official said, “Records show that he visited Okpo Shipyard on June 5, 1998, at the invitation of the Daewoo Group.” During this visit, Trump not only toured the Daewoo Sh

1. A Flame That Sparked a Wave of Change In December 2010, in the small town of Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after repeated harassment by corrupt officials and an oppressive government. His tragic act was not simply a personal despair—it came to represent the cry of a generation of young people across the Middle East and North Africa who had lived under authoritarian rule for decades. But the flame he lit didn’t stop at the streets. I

Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has introduced a bill aimed at restricting the activities of independent media outlets and NGOs that receive foreign funding. The proposed legislation would impose heavy fines on these organizations, ban them from receiving donations, and potentially prohibit their operations altogether. While the government has named the bill the “Law on the Transparency of Public Life,” critics argue it is effectively a crackdown on progressive, independent med