Asia in 2024: Elections, Economics, and Geopolitics

Every January, we ask our country representatives in Asia and the Pacific to share their predictions for the year ahead. While prediction is an uncertain art, their forecasts suggest that 2024 will be a year dominated by elections, economics, and geopolitics. The Asia Foundation's Country Representatives in Asia share their views in the year ahead. Please click the link below for further information. Asia in 2024: Elections, Economics, and Geopolitics *Cover photo by Robert Koehler / The Asia Foundation. Seoul, Korea, cityscape

January 11, 2024

What a Clean Energy Future Demands: A Massive Shift in Critical Minerals and Global Supply Chains

‘What a Clean Energy Future Demands: A Massive Shift in Critical Minerals and Global Supply Chains’ Several areas of potential cooperation between the Republic of Korea (ROK), Australia, and the United States need timely attention. These include enhancing collaboration in the security, defense, and diplomatic domains and building new and deeper ties in energy cooperation, critical minerals, and supply chains. Economic and trade cooperation between the ROK, Australia, and the United States will do more than bring prosperity to each country. Their regional influence will reinforce freedom, openness, and a rules-based order. Although the foreign policies of these three nations inevitably reflect their domestic concerns, their mutual interests and shared flashpoints in the region make cooperation essential. On June 7 and 8, 2023, The Asia Foundation and the Perth USAsia Centre in Australia organized the second Republic of Korea–Australia–Uni..

October 31, 2023

The Future Forecast: Asia in 2023

The Asia Foundation's Country Representatives in Asia share their views in the year ahead. Please click the link below for the further information: The Future Forecast: Asia in 2023

January 11, 2023

Supporting North Koreas Refugee Entrepreneurs in South Korea

Many North Koreans with entrepreneurial ambitions are ill prepared for the hyper-competitive environment they encounter in the South. Jaemyung (James) Lee and Kwang Kim write about their challenges and successes as part of The Asia Foundation’s support program to these entrepreneurs. Click the link here to access the full article: https://asiafoundation.org/2022/07/20/unlocking-the-entrepreneurship-of-north-korean-refugees/ * Photo Credit: Robert Koehler

July 22, 2022

ROK-U.S-Vietnam Trilateral Dialogue Report Released

Despite differences in political ideology, relations between South Korea, the United States, and Vietnam have deepened and evolved since formal diplomatic relations with Vietnam were established more than a quarter century ago. Overlapping strategic and economic interests have led the three countries to expand ties across a wide spectrum of issues. While economic cooperation has been the main driver of these deepening relations, security issues, especially nontraditional security issues, are notable avenues for cooperation moving forward. Prospects for trilateral relations between the three countries are likely to expand because of challenges and opportunities brought about by unprecedented global and regional dynamics following the Covid-19 pandemic. In December 2021, the first-ever trilateral dialogue between scholars, policymakers, and government officials (Track 1.5) from South Korea, the United States, and Vietnam was held to discuss the political, security, economic, and trade interests that are central to relations between thes..

May 11, 2022

ROK-U.S-Australia Trilateral Dialogue Report Released

Trilateral Republic of Korea-Australia-United States cooperation is long overdue and as yet untapped. The reasons for this are complex, but with converging interests and the proven success of other regional multilateral frameworks such as the Quad, formalizing ROK-Australia-US cooperation should be imperative for all three governments. These countries are drawn progressively closer by shared security challenges, supply chain, energy security, Covid-19 recovery needs, and the significant benefits of enhanced economic coordination. This report is based on the discussion of the 2021 ROK-Australia-US Trilateral Dialogue. The ROK-Australia-US Trilateral Dialogue addressed these issues in greater detail, facilitating an exchange of national positions and increasing mutual understanding. The Asia Foundation-Perth USAsia Centre ROK-Australia-US Trilateral Dialogue brought together some of the most senior current and former government officials from all three nations. Importantly, the dialogue also included industry, academia, and..

April 21, 2022

Policy Recommendations on ESG and Sustainable Finance in South Korea Released

Impact for Breakfast Seoul, managed by The Asia Foundation Korea, is pleased to share the policy recommendations on ESG and sustainable finance in South Korea to the next President of South Korea. A group of leaders from the private sector, public sector, academia, and civil society met from May to December of 2021 to develop these recommendations. This working group was chaired by Congressman Jung-hun Cho (Transition Korea Party) and President Jinho Chung (The Wells Investment). The Asia Foundation led the development of the report, with support from Merry Year Social Company. South Korea enters 2022 with the prospect of economic growth in the era of living with Covid, led by strong exports in semiconductors. While some larger firms are doing relatively well, the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) prospects are less clear. There is a persistent perception that many in South Korea are being left behind, including non-export sectors, young people with less access for upward mobility, small..

April 21, 2022

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, COVID-19 and Women

DevPolicy blog features an article on the women and the fourth industrial revolution written by Dr. Eun Mee Kim, President of Ewha Womans University and board member of the Friends of The Asia Foundation Korea, and The Asia Foundation’s Niki Baroy. Please check the link here to read the full article.

March 11, 2022

The Year Ahead in Korea and Asia

The Asia Foundation's Country Representatives in 18 countries share our views in the year ahead. "The full implications of Korea’s global cultural and economic influence and its simmering social and demographic challenges will be a saga for the years ahead,” predicted Korea’s Country Representative, Kwang Kim. Please click the link for the further information: Peering into the Year Ahead in Asia - The Asia Foundation

January 19, 2022