United States

South Korea

Military & Security

The Wall Street Journal claimed late on May 22 that White House officials are preparing a proposal to withdraw 4,500 out of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and redeploy them elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific, including to Guam.

U.S., South Korea: White House Considering Drawdown of Troops in South Korea

China

Politics

During a televised presidential debate on May 18, frontrunner candidate Lee Jae-myung from South Korea's Democratic Party recognized the importance of the U.S. alliance, but added "relationships with China and Russia [were] also important and must be managed wisely," and that "diplomacy must always prioritize national interest and be approached pragmatically," the South China Mornign Post reported May 19.

South Korea: Presidential Frontrunner Touts Rebalancing Ties With China

South Korea's ruling People Power Party, or PPP, nominated former labor minister Kim Moon-soo to be its candidate for the June 3 early presidential election, with Kim beating out former PPP head Han Dong-hoon to secure 57% of the primary vote, AP reported May 3.

South Korea: Ruling Party Picks Pro-Yoon Candidate for Presidential Election

South Korea's Supreme Court on May 1 overturned the Seoul High Court's decision to acquit former head of the opposition Democratic Party (DPK) and current frontrunner for the June 3 presidential election, Lee Jae-myung, of violating the election law related to false statements he made during the 2022 presidential election campaign, Korea JoongAng Daily reported the same day.

South Korea: Court Ruling for Presidential Frontrunner Prolongs Political, Market Uncertainty

South Korea's Supreme Court will rule on an election law violation case against Lee Jae-myung, the former head of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea and current frontrunner for the June 3 early presidential election, on May 1, Yonhap News Agency reported on April 29.

South Korea: Court To Rule on Presidential Frontrunner on May 1

Economics

South Korea's first-quarter gross domestic product dropped 0.1% year on year, while consumption fell 0.1%, exports dropped 1.1%, and construction and facility investment fell 3.2% and 2.1%, respectively, according to the Bank of Korea on April 24. 

South Korea: First Quarter GDP Contracts, Second Quarter Off to a Poor Start

South Korea's Constitutional Court on April 4 issued an 8-0 verdict to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his abortive Dec. 3-4 martial law bid.

South Korea: President Yoon's Impeachment Upheld, New Election Impending

Japan

Taiwan

On April 3, Northeast Asian countries responded to U.S. baseline and reciprocal tariffs imposed on April 2.

Asia-Pacific: China Aside, Northeast Asian Countries Likely To Avoid Retaliating Against U.S. Tariffs

Assessments

Supporters of Kim Moon Soo, the opposition candidate running in South Korea's June 3 presidential election, react during a campaign event in Seoul on May 19, 2025.

Energy

Global Elections

A ruling party victory would portend a continuation of Yoon's pro-business, pro-U.S. policies, while an opposition victory would see Seoul focus more on improving domestic economic equity and increasing engagement with North Korea and China.

South Korea's Presidential Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

U.S. reciprocal tariffs will have major economic and political impacts on Japan and South Korea, particularly as both East Asian countries prepare for summer elections.

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Impact of U.S. Tariffs on South Korea and Japan

Turkey

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Russia

People wave flags and chant slogans during a protest in front of the municipality headquarters in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. To Announce Tariffs, Protests in Turkey Rage On

Canada

Saudi Arabia

Europe

India

Canadian flags are seen outside a building in Ottawa. 

The Weekly Rundown: Canada's Ruling Liberals Pick a New Leader, India and the EU Hold Trade Talks 

South Africa

The Reichstag on Jan. 22 in Berlin. The center-right alliance between the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, is widely expected to emerge as the largest bloc in the Bundestag after the Feb. 23 general election and lead the next coalition government.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: German Elections, Macron and Starmer Meet Trump

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (second from right) attends the fifth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on Feb. 4, 2025.

South Korea’s top court will likely uphold Yoon’s impeachment, clearing the way for a more progressive government. But the alternate scenario in which Yoon remains in office and fuels more protests and political instability cannot be ruled out. 

In South Korea, Yoon's Ouster Will Resolve Political Instability -- For Now

Media

Podcasts

Essential Geopolitics: Key Events in South Korean Politics, Part I

Essential Geopolitics: Key Events in South Korean Politics, Part II

People Power Party lawmakers (bottom) argue with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik (top) during the plenary session for the impeachment vote of acting president Han Duck-soo on Dec. 27, 2024, at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. Meaningful constitutional reform in South Korea remains unlikely, while instability will limit regional security engagement, risk political fragmentation and impede policymaking.

Meaningful constitutional reform remains unlikely, while instability will limit regional security engagement, risk political fragmentation and impede policymaking.

Yoon's Impeachment Drama Reopens the Fraught Issue of Constitutional Reform

Columns

On Geopolitics

Asia-Pacific

Australia

Indonesia

Malaysia

Philippines

Vietnam

U.S. President Joe Biden gestures to reporters after landing on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 22, 2024, in Washington, D.C. 

U.S.-China Relations

Trump's more aggressive and transactional approach could deliver quick wins for the U.S.'s position in the region, though it could also strain ties with key partners. 

Trump's Asia-Pacific Approach Will Test Biden's Gains

Mozambique

Mexico

Security personnel walk on a road with buses blocking an entrance gate to protect impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol from a possible second arrest in Seoul on Jan. 6. If Yoon is not arrested, the opposition could again seek to impeach the country's acting president due to his insufficient support for the arrest efforts, worsening foreign perceptions of political instability in South Korea.

The Weekly Rundown: Mozambique's President Takes Office, the U.K. Chancellor Visits China

How do demographic trends impact military power?

Applied Geopolitics: Demographic Decline and Military Manpower: Understanding the Shifting Role of Troops in Conflict

The Republic of Korea, also called South Korea, occupies the southern half of a peninsula that juts out of the Asian mainland toward Japan. The country shares its only land border with North Korea, which it also borders in the Yellow and East seas. It shares maritime borders with Japan to the east and China to the west. South Koreas primary geographic challenges are overcoming internal fractures to maintain cohesion, and securing its maritime sphere and its southwest lowland pockets from its more powerful neighbors.    The ancient kingdoms of Baekje and Silla occupied the distinct geographic pockets of the southern peninsula, standing in contrast to a more unified space where North Korea now sits. The Taebaek mountains run along much of South Korea's eastern coast, largely protecting the country from invasion by sea from this direction. These mountain ranges provide a level of protection to the peninsula's most vulnerable feature: a north-south corridor of lowlands and hills along the west coast. This coast (as well as much of South Korea's southern coastline) is protected from easy landing by countless islands, mudflats and tidal rips.     However, the Nakdong River valley at Pusan offers a point of incursion to would-be invaders. From here, they can pass over the lower elevations of the Sobaek Mountains and onward to the western core. This has been the gateway for those seeking to control the peninsula, from the failed 16th century invasions of Japanese Daimyō Toyotomi Hideyoshi to the Japanese empire's later efforts in the 19th century. A North Korean invasion in 1950 (repelled by U.N. forces defending the Pusan Perimeter) highlights another key vulnerability for South Korea: the potential for incursions from the north via the western coastal strip. To hedge against aggression from all directions, South Korea is focused on securing its maritime space, particularly in the south and west. The country has prioritized its possession of Jeju Island in the Jeju Strait and has in the past held claims to Tsushima Island. Disputes with China over the Socotra Rock in the Yellow Sea and with Japan over Dokdo in the East Sea are also important elements of South Korea's overall maritime strategy.     The Korean Peninsula's historic policy of isolation was one way of remaining out of the crosshairs of its neighbors, but it has also aligned itself with rival powers throughout its history. Most recently, South Korea has used a third party — the United States — to maintain balance against neighbors that threaten it from sea and land. 

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., South Korea: White House Considering Drawdown of Troops in South Korea

South Korea: Presidential Frontrunner Touts Rebalancing Ties With China

South Korea: Ruling Party Picks Pro-Yoon Candidate for Presidential Election

South Korea: Court Ruling for Presidential Frontrunner Prolongs Political, Market Uncertainty

South Korea: Court To Rule on Presidential Frontrunner on May 1

South Korea: First Quarter GDP Contracts, Second Quarter Off to a Poor Start

South Korea: President Yoon's Impeachment Upheld, New Election Impending

Asia-Pacific: China Aside, Northeast Asian Countries Likely To Avoid Retaliating Against U.S. Tariffs

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