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Following the disappointing performance of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party in the April 10 parliamentary elections, Stanford sociologist and APARC Director Gi-Wook Shin analyzes the implications of the election outcomes for President Yoon’s domestic and foreign policies and Korean society and economy.
Video Interview: Gi-Wook Shin's 2024 Forecast for South Korea's Politics, Diplomacy, and Culture
APARC and Korea Program Director Gi-Wook Shin joined Arirang News to examine geopolitical uncertainty surrounding the Korean Peninsula in 2024, North Korea's intentions, Japan-U.S.-South Korea trilateral cooperation, Seoul-Beijing relations, tensions over Taiwan, and South Korean politics and soft power.
In his new book, Gi-Wook Shin explores the challenges and possibilities for Korea's democracy and national vision for its future development.
Depopulation is a concern shared by Japan and South Korea. Immigration of high-skilled labor could be a solution for mitigating it. In this regard, Japan SPOTLIGHT interviewed Prof. Gi-Wook Shin, who is working on a new research initiative seeking to examine the potential benefits of talent flows in the Asia-Pacific region.
Biden needs South Korean support for U.S. geopolitical efforts, whereas Yoon hopes to resolve contentious domestic issues with support from Biden.
Gray Skies Ahead
Prospects for Korea’s Democracy
Video Interview: Gi-Wook Shin Discusses the Economic and Geopolitical Implications of Mobile Talent
APARC and Korea Program Director Gi-Wook Shin joins Gita Wirjawan, a visiting scholar at the Center and host of the “Endgame” video podcast, to share his work on the ways in which countries in Asia and elsewhere can address brain drain, discuss the influence of soft power on South Korea's evolution, and consider the threats posed by demographic and democratic crises to the country’s future.
Koreans Should "Just Look Up"
The time has come to depoliticize North Korean human rights. South Korean progressives have argued that working to improve human rights in North Korea threatens to worsen inter-Korean relations and makes addressing security threats difficult, but the Moon administration failed to make progress in security or relations despite sidelining human rights. The Yoon administration should work on multilateral approaches to address the state of human rights in the North and reach a domestic bipartisan consensus on the issue.
Look South
Opportunities for Korea-India Relations
Demographic Headwinds
Demographic Headwinds
Can Korea Avoid Japan’s Lost Decade?
Walking a Tightrope
As U.S.-China tensions escalate, Korea must chart a new path.
With Xi at the helm for a third term, we should expect to see a more assertive China and more turbulence in the regional and global order, say APARC Director Gi-Wook Shin and Center Fellow Oriana Skylar Mastro. They offer their assessments of the outcomes of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and its implications for China’s trajectory and U.S.-China relations.
In China, Xi Jinping Is Getting an Unprecedented Third Term. What Should the World Expect?
Xi's plans are long term and unlikely to shift, but he can now be more aggressive than before in their pursuit.
Lessons from the United States
Research Assistant Spotlight: Kerstin Norris Examines Race and Racism in Asia with Gi-Wook Shin
MA in East Asian Studies candidate Kerstin Norris spent the summer assisting APARC and Korea Program Director Gi-Wook Shin with his research on racial tensions in Asia. Looking to pursue a PhD in Sociology, Norris found tremendous value in a collaborative academic environment. We spoke with Norris about her experience as a research assistant and her time working with Dr. Shin.
The Path Ahead for Yoon
The Path Ahead for Yoon
How Korea’s New President Can Recover from His First 100 Days of Struggles.
The Korean Wave, which has unique characteristics and continues to evolve in intriguing directions, could become a first mover on the global cultural scene.
A social and corporate culture that values and enforces conformity surely cannot be a wellspring of creativity and innovation. Korean society must find a new source of vitality. Enhancing diversity to stimulate innovation and change could be the answer.
It is difficult to anticipate how the geopolitical storm set off by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may develop. What is certain is that the international order will not be the same, and this change will have significant repercussions for South Korea.
“The tragic outcome was a brutal wakeup call to Korean democratic movements.”
Yoon has been compared to Biden’s own nemesis, Donald Trump, but he is far from a political iconoclast.
Just as the United States experienced a crisis of democracy under the Trump administration, South Korea underwent a democratic recession during President Moon Jae-in’s time in office. The consequences of this decline have been evident throughout the election and the subsequent presidential transition.
With few exceptions, South Korea’s K-pop idols have been conspicuously silent on controversial subjects – including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.