https://www.scmp.com/rss/523752/feed The latest news and top stories on the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. A Seoul-based think tank, the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy (INSS) is dedicated to providing recommendations for national strategy through research and analyses. Its main areas of focus include security issues regarding North Korea, inter-Korean relations, foreign policy and emerging security threats. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Korea Times The Korea Times Kim Bong-hwan, who runs a barbecue restaurant in Myeong-dong in central Seoul, is feeling the brunt of rising costs, with wholesale beef prices climbing from about 28,000 won (US$18) per kilogram to more than 40,000 won in recent weeks. “Everything’s going up – beef, pork, eggs, vegetables and even disposable materials like plastic bags and containers,” he said. “Prices have risen 20 to 30 per cent in just a few weeks.” Kim, who has operated the restaurant for more than 15 years, said raising... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348630/south-korean-restaurants-struggle-survive-global-oil-prices-eat-profits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348630/south-korean-restaurants-struggle-survive-global-oil-prices-eat-profits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:44:27 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong In Seoul last week, South Koreans were stripping shop shelves of plastic bin bags. Not food, not medicine. Bin bags. Nearly 2.7 million of the city’s mandatory “pay-as-you-throw” bags were sold each day, almost five times the normal volume, as residents scrambled to stockpile what they feared might soon become scarce. City by-laws mandate that the prepaid bags – made from naphtha, a petroleum derivative – be used to throw away household waste. But with oil supplies under strain amid the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348485/bin-bag-panic-grips-south-korea-huge-iran-war-crisis-budget-agreed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348485/bin-bag-panic-grips-south-korea-huge-iran-war-crisis-budget-agreed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:33:37 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is unlikely to rush into joining a US-led military effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, officials and analysts have said, after President Donald Trump urged other nations to send ships to the strategic waterway. Seoul is expected to seek parliamentary consensus before making any decision and is waiting for the outcome of a summit on Thursday between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as well as a formal request through diplomatic channels. A key US ally, South Korea... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346756/south-korea-catch-22-situation-over-trumps-call-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346756/south-korea-catch-22-situation-over-trumps-call-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong As war with the United States and Israel batters Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure, analysts say Tehran is likely to turn to North Korea once again after the fighting stops, reviving a long-suspected partnership built on shared hostility towards Washington and years of military cooperation. North Korea has long been suspected of supplying missile technology to Iran and providing technical help with uranium enrichment, and analysts say it is likely to do so again once the war ends. “North... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346232/why-iran-and-north-korea-are-highly-likely-revive-missile-and-nuclear-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346232/why-iran-and-north-korea-are-highly-likely-revive-missile-and-nuclear-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has bluntly said that Seoul cannot prevent the United States from redeploying military assets from the peninsula, raising concerns about the shifting role of American forces stationed in the country. Analysts say the episode exposes a stark reality for Seoul: US Forces Korea (USFK) are increasingly being used for missions beyond deterring North Korea as Washington pushes for greater “strategic flexibility” for its troops overseas. Lee made the remarks after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346144/south-korea-grapples-clear-reality-us-forces-shifting-role-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346144/south-korea-grapples-clear-reality-us-forces-shifting-role-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong For decades, North Korea’s most potent insurance policy has been the threat it poses to Seoul, guaranteeing that any US move against Kim Jong-un’s regime would first exact an unbearable toll on the South. Now, a new Pentagon blueprint may have just offered that survival strategy Washington’s seal of approval. The new National Defence Strategy, presented to a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, calls on Seoul to take “primary” responsibility for deterring North Korea, with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345386/north-koreas-hostage-strategy-packs-more-bite-post-iran-us-shake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345386/north-koreas-hostage-strategy-packs-more-bite-post-iran-us-shake?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:39:32 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Every spring, South Korea and the United States stage one of their largest combined military exercises in a show of force that North Korea invariably denounces as a rehearsal for war. This year, Seoul wants to dial them back, wagering that smaller drills could open a diplomatic door that has been shut since 2019. A joint press briefing on the Freedom Shield exercise that had been scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed amid differences over the scope of the drills, according to Yonhap news... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344312/freedom-shield-rift-south-korea-us-odds-over-war-games-scale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344312/freedom-shield-rift-south-korea-us-odds-over-war-games-scale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Fears over the weakening of global momentum to rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have mounted with the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) between the United States and Russia, with observers warning that an emboldened Pyongyang could also spark a domino effect regionally. For 15 years, the treaty functioned as a stabilising force between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, setting limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems while... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342556/bad-news-south-korea-us-russia-nuclear-pact-expires-sparking-fears-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342556/bad-news-south-korea-us-russia-nuclear-pact-expires-sparking-fears-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 02:00:11 +0000 David D. Lee David D. Lee Relations between long-time allies South Korea and the United States have hit another unexpected flashpoint even as Seoul struggles to iron out tariff talks with Washington – the uproar over a data breach involving online giant Coupang, dubbed the Korean Amazon. The US-listed company that provides e-commerce, entertainment streaming and food delivery services to nearly 34 million South Koreans – more than 60 per cent of the population – last November disclosed a massive data leak exposing the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342531/coupang-data-leak-threatens-south-korea-us-ties-amid-tariff-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342531/coupang-data-leak-threatens-south-korea-us-ties-amid-tariff-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s public dismissal of a vice-minister during an inspection tour of a major industrial zone reflects growing anxiety within the leadership as Pyongyang prepares for a pivotal ruling party congress amid persistent economic strain, according to analysts. By firing the official on the spot, Kim appears to be signalling zero tolerance for delays and mismanagement while reinforcing his authority ahead of the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea to be held early... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340630/north-korean-blame-game-whats-behind-kim-jong-uns-public-sacking-vice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340630/north-korean-blame-game-whats-behind-kim-jong-uns-public-sacking-vice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:26:53 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered an investigation into claims that the country’s military intelligence command supported a civilian accused of sending drones into North Korea. The civilian at the centre of the allegations, a graduate student in his thirties identified only by his surname Oh, claims he flew drones into North Korea three times since September last year. He previously worked in ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol’s office and allegedly received – according to local... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340527/south-korea-probes-if-spies-funded-drones-flown-north-student?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340527/south-korea-probes-if-spies-funded-drones-flown-north-student?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 07:27:00 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow China’s role in any future reunification of the Korean peninsula should not be assumed, a South Korean analyst has warned at a peace forum in Hong Kong after being asked if Bejing is a reliable partner to help advance the goal. Sung Ki-young, chief research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy, told the Korean Peninsula Peace Forum on Wednesday that both China and the United States were reluctant to rapidly or radically alter peace and stability on the peninsula, meaning major... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335078/can-seoul-count-chinas-commitment-korean-reunification?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335078/can-seoul-count-chinas-commitment-korean-reunification?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:45:30 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Washington’s approval for South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines has become a turning point in the alliance, analysts say, one that is already pushing Seoul towards a more explicit role in the United States’ broader Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China. As the US military reframes the region around a “strategic triangle” linking South Korea, Japan and the Philippines, observers say Washington has begun naming its price for its endorsement of the submarine project – pressing Seoul to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333124/nuclear-submarines-deal-south-korea-falling-too-far-us-indo-pacific-embrace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333124/nuclear-submarines-deal-south-korea-falling-too-far-us-indo-pacific-embrace?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:24 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea and the United States reached a comprehensive trade deal on Wednesday, ranging from tariffs and investment to shipbuilding, at the summit in Gyeongju between President Lee Jae-myung and his American counterpart, Donald Trump. “We reached a deal. We did a lot of different things. Great session,” Trump said. The two countries agreed to maintain tariffs at 15 per cent following a preliminary deal reached earlier this year, Chief Presidential Secretary for Policy Kim Yong-beom told... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330803/south-korea-us-reach-trade-deal-trump-lee-summit-tariffs-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330803/south-korea-us-reach-trade-deal-trump-lee-summit-tariffs-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:00:30 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong With rumours swirling of a fourth face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un later this month, analysts say it is the North Korean leader who is now dictating the terms. Buoyed by deepening alliances with Russia and China, and commanding a nuclear arsenal larger than ever before, Kim approaches the prospect of diplomacy with the United States from a position of distinct strength. The US president – who is expected to visit the Korean peninsula from October 30 for this month’s Apec... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329745/why-fourth-trump-kim-summit-would-be-north-koreas-terms-ground-has-shifted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329745/why-fourth-trump-kim-summit-would-be-north-koreas-terms-ground-has-shifted?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 04:37:08 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The Philippines is reportedly looking to acquire an anti-ship ballistic missile developed by South Korean defence giant Hanwha Aerospace. Analysts said such a move would indicate Seoul’s lean towards Washington’s Indo-Pacific policies and possible rising profile in regional defence cooperation with fellow US allies. The Philippines’ potential purchase of the South Korean system arises at a time when China imposed sanctions on the Korean shipbuilding sector. According to a report on Monday by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329106/south-korean-defence-giant-hit-chinese-sanctions-offers-anti-ship-missile-manila?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329106/south-korean-defence-giant-hit-chinese-sanctions-offers-anti-ship-missile-manila?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A plan to construct South Korea’s first civic nuclear bunker in the country’s capital has raised eyebrows, as critics question both its practicality and potential to inflame public anxiety amid growing threats from the nuclear-armed North. Seoul Metropolitan Government’s plan reflects both the growing unease over Pyongyang’s advancing nuclear arsenal and broader global instability, analysts say. City officials have confirmed that the underground fallout shelter will be built beneath a new public... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3328962/seoul-build-its-first-public-nuclear-fallout-shelter-north-koreas-threats-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3328962/seoul-build-its-first-public-nuclear-fallout-shelter-north-koreas-threats-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:39:01 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea should adhere to pragmatic diplomacy to safeguard its national interests as Washington steps up pressure on Seoul to clarify its role in countering China, analysts have said. They warned that leaning too far towards the United States under a transactional President Donald Trump could trap South Korea diplomatically and leave it with little room to manoeuvre amid growing global uncertainty. The warnings came in response to remarks by a senior Pentagon official, who said on Tuesday... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328450/south-korea-cant-afford-lose-china-seoul-urged-stay-pragmatic-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328450/south-korea-cant-afford-lose-china-seoul-urged-stay-pragmatic-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 01:30:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has slammed as “submissive” the notion that Seoul cannot defend itself without American troops, in a message aimed at both Washington and domestic audiences. The remarks come as Seoul and Washington remain deadlocked over tariff talks and cost-sharing for United States forces, with the White House reportedly pressing for US$350 billion in South Korean investments and wider shouldering of the defence burden. In a social media post written before departing for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326431/south-koreas-lee-pans-submissive-reliance-us-troops-comments-aimed-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326431/south-koreas-lee-pans-submissive-reliance-us-troops-comments-aimed-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 01:30:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A new era in North Korea’s missile programme may be dawning, as analysts warn of an imminent test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads to the US mainland. Fresh from his appearance at China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally oversaw the trial of a lighter, more robust solid-fuel ICBM engine, state media reported on Tuesday, touting the achievement as a “strategic” breakthrough. Reportedly built... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324998/north-korea-set-become-worlds-fourth-icbm-power-after-missile-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324998/north-korea-set-become-worlds-fourth-icbm-power-after-missile-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:56:43 +0000