Author: Yoon Young-kwan, Seoul National University

After North Korea’s sinking of a South Korean frigate, Cheonan, and shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, inter-Korean relations did not improve much in 2011.

There was limited official contact between the South and the North and between the US and the North to discuss the possible resumption of Six-Party Talks or food aid. Read more…

Author: Yoon Young-kwan, Seoul National University

The year 2010 was the most turbulent year in inter-Korean relations in the recent decade.

Though the relationship between the South and the North has begun to deteriorate since the start of the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2008, there was a hope for improvement until around March 2010. Read more…

Author: Yoon Young-kwan, Seoul National University, Korea

With the backdrop of global economic crisis, the Korean economy also experienced serious decline. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the economic growth rate fell by 5.1 per cent compared to the previous quarter. However, the economy returned to positive growth in the first quarter of 2009 and recovered to pre-crisis rates of 2.6 percent and 3.2 per cent in the second and third quarters. The Korean economy is recuperating faster than any other OECD country, except Australia, and the IMF expects 4.5 per cent growth in 2010. Though there were some discussions recently inside the government about the exit strategy, President Lee Myung-bak opted for a cautious approach.

In contrast to a positive economic performance, domestic politics in South Korea remained turbulent in 2009 if not more so than in the previous year. Read more…

Special Author: Yoon Young-kwan, Seoul National University

The Korean people had high expectations at the beginning of 2008 that the new conservative government of Lee Myung-bak would bring fast economic growth and political stability. There were high hopes that President Lee’s pragmatic and conservative approach, in contrast to his predecessor’s ideologically oriented and progressive policies, would restore a balance in the overall direction of the Korean society.

Most Koreans and foreign observers, however, were surprised as they witnessed President Lee’s popularity plummet in a matter of months. His government’s negotiation over the beef trade with the United States was severely criticized by domestic NGOs and the progressive opposition groups, who were able to mobilize huge crowds in anti-government demonstrations on the streets of Seoul. Their gripe was that policy leaders had neglected people’s concern over the health issues and given too much away to the US negotiators despite a serious danger of mad cow disease with beef imports from the States. Though it turned out that there was no scientific evidence that corroborated the arguments of its critics, the Lee government had suffered a serious political blow.

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