South Korea

Debris lies piled up near a railroad destroyed by Typhoon Rusa in Samcheok, about 200 km (124 miles) east of Seoul (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-hoon).

Opinion | Brookings Northeast Asia Commentary

Counter-Terrorism and Emergency Management: Keeping a Proper Balance

May 2013, Jibum Chung

Jibum Chung analyzes some of the tensions that often lead governments to emphasize civil defense against relatively rare and small-scale events over civil protection against more common and more destructive natural and man-made disasters. He offers suggestions for strengthening the decision-making process and maintaining an appropriate balance between civil defense and civil protection.

Recent Activity

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In the News

I hope that when the exercise winds down in a few weeks, they [the North Koreans] will wind down the rhetoric and we will be in a better place than we are now.
April 5, 2013, Evans J.R. Revere, The Guardian (UK)
In the News

I think the steps taken by the Obama administration are prudent and the minimum necessary to send a message to [North Korea] and our allies that we are prepared to defend them.
April 5, 2013, Evans J.R. Revere, The Guardian (UK)
In the News

The danger here is that South Korea, with U.S. moral support, retaliates and then North Korea feels that it needs to counter-retaliate; China doesn’t control it and so it’s a vicious circle.
April 2, 2013, Richard C. Bush III, Washington Times
Interview | Voice of America

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

April 1, 2013, Evans J.R. Revere
In the News

We are in a vicious cycle [with North Korea]. Even if things calm down after the current U.S.-South Korea exercise, we will still be at a higher level of tension than in the past.
March 29, 2013, Evans J.R. Revere, Wall Street Journal
In the News

[U.S. support for a U.N. inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea could prompt other nations] especially those on the fence, to come forward in support of the initiative.
February 20, 2013, Roberta Cohen, Washington Post
Expert Q & A | Richard C. Bush III

South Korea's 2012 Presidential Elections: Continuity Over Change

December 19, 2012, Richard C. Bush III
In the News

[Leadership change in East Asia] creates a great potential for change. New leaders say things during their leadership campaign, and when they take office, can pursue new policies. This creates new context for bilateral relations and relations among countries in East Asia. It's a source of uncertainty, but it's also a source of opportunity.
December 16, 2012, Richard C. Bush III, Japan Times Online
In the News

But there are also important political considerations that have acted as roadblocks. FTAs are inter-governmental negotiations and when diplomatic relations are strained because of historical or territorial issues, the impetus for these official trade negotiations wanes.
October 26, 2012, Mireya Solís, Lifeweek.com.cn
Expert Q & A

World Bank Leadership Should Reflect Emerging Economies

March 28, 2012, Colin I. Bradford