Written by: Cherui Chew It will soon be election season in various countries across Southeast Asia, but observers are hardly optimistic about the political development in the region due to the rise of populism and socially conservative trends. Two of the growing economies in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, are both secular countries with a…
Category: South-Eastern Asia
State-Sponsored Atrocities in the Philippines Unlikely to End Any Time Soon
Written by: Connor Touhey Due to the behavior of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines has gained international attention for all the wrong reasons over the past year and a half. For some, Duterte might be best known for his aggressive outbursts. He called the American ambassador to his nation a “gay son of a bitch”…
Will the World Win Gold in the 2018 Olympics?
Written by: Alyse Samoray The 2018 Winter Olympics opened in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on February 9, 2018, with a historic moment: South Korean President Moon Jae-in shook hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s younger sister Kim Yo-jong. Along with 500 other North Koreans, Kim Yo-jong, who has been described as a close confidant to…
South Korea’s Clever Diplomacy During Trump’s Visit to Asia
Written by: Soeun Lee President Trump visited South Korea on November 7th as part of his recent Asia tour, which brought him to 5 countries in the Asia Pacific. He mentioned several issues, including North Korea, China, Russia, trade, and an Indo-Pacific strategic arrangement that minimizes China’s role in Asia. While these are all important…
Opportunity for South Korea to Break Up ‘Chaebol’ system
Written by: Soeun Lee Due to the political turmoil caused by the “Shaman President” scandal, the Korean economy is facing instability. The unstable situation resulted in the decreased amount of employment plan for 2017. In fact, a few top Chaebol companies announced that they would either reduce employment or not hire at all, and this…
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