ISDP Voices

South Korea’s defense industry ambitions have increased significantly over the past couple of years as part of President Moon Jae-in´s wider Defense Reform 2.0. The program aims to support defense sector growth as well as the general economic development, with a focus on manufacturing high quality weaponry for the ROK Armed Forces and elevating South […]

On July 8, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a $2 billion sale of weapons to Taiwan, including M1A2T Abrams tanks, Hercules armored vehicles, and heavy equipment transporters. The world never fails to notice when this kind of brinksmanship occurs at China’s doorstep. But we should take note of China’s recent activities in Jamaica […]

May and June were busy times for Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Within a week, Abe hosted several heads of state, including  Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Hasina. Amidst a recent push to develop “quality infrastructure”, the meeting ended with Abe committing 1.2 billion USD towards infrastructure projects, ranging from a high-speed rail network to a commercial […]

U.S.-DPRK relations have reached an uncertain stalemate after the Hanoi Summit resulted in no deal. With both sides seemingly unwilling to compromise, and putting the onus on the other to make the first move, what can we expect in the months ahead? ISDP Korea Center’s Alec Forss chatted with Frank Aum, a former advisor to […]

Last year’s passing of a non-binding act to promote more women to run for political office was a first effort to address Japan’s long-standing issue of gender inequality. Yet, 2019’s local unified election results proved this act to be more of a legislative gesture than a decisive gamechanger. Despite a “record” number of women winning […]

Japan’s collaborative investments in African markets are set to increase as the country attempts to offset the dominance of Chinese economic involvement on the continent. The Japanese government recently announced that it intends to establish a permanent joint council, involving government officials, economic organizations, and Japanese companies operating in Africa. The launch of the new […]

Beijing marked a seminal event in the Chinese political calendar last week: the “Lianghui” or “Two Sessions.” The Two Sessions refers to the annual plenary sessions of both the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC), which coincide at the beginning of each year. On paper these events are given seminal importance, though how much of a role do they really have in terms of affecting Chinese political decision making?   Explaining the Two Sessions […]

The break-down of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-Un at their second summit in Hanoi – whether a surprise or not – has been met with mixed reactions. The no deal-summit does not bode well for those hoping Kim Jong-Un will accede to denuclearization or maintain a moratorium on […]

The much anticipated second summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un has come to an abrupt end with absolutely no agreement made. What does this outcome mean? How does it affect future negotiations regarding the Korean Peninsula? Sangsoo Lee and Alec Forss of ISDP’s Korea Center answer some of the key questions that have arisen post Hanoi. […]

Over the past decade China has demonstrated an ever-increasing interest in both the countries and regional dynamics of Eastern Europe. As a part of their ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijing has sought to infuse its foreign relations with infrastructure projects that imbue countries in need of economic transformation to pivot towards their development aims. […]