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Sung-Yoon Lee

Professor in Korean Studies, Tufts University
Sung-Yoon Lee, Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies and Assistant Professor, teaches courses on Korea and U.S.-East Asia relations. He is a former research fellow with the National Asia Research Program, a joint initiative by the National Bureau of Asia Research and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and former associate in research at the Korea Institute, Harvard University.

In 2005, he launched at Harvard's Korea Institute a new seminar series, the Kim Koo Forum on U.S.–Korea Relations. He has taught courses on Korean political history at Bowdoin College (2000), Sogang University (2007), and Seoul National University (2012-2015). His opeds have been published multiple times in The Hill, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Asia Times, etc. Lee is a frequent commentator on major international broadcast networks, including BBC, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, PRI, etc., and has testified as an expert witness at U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearings on North Korea policy. In 2013, the Guardian called Lee "[a]mong the most insightful and prescient chroniclers."

It's time to take Kim Jong Un and his nuclear threats seriously

Oct 16, 2022 13:42 pm UTC|

As the West frets over the possibility of Vladimir Putin turning to nuclear weapons in Ukraine, there is a risk that similar threats posed by another pariah leader are not being treated as seriously those of North Koreas...

Kim Jong Un’s decade in power: Starvation, repression and brutal rule

Dec 20, 2021 09:53 am UTC| Politics

By the grim metric of fatalities in the first 10 years of a dictators rule, Kim Jong Un has yet to match the records set by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, or father, Kim Jong Il the two tyrants who reigned by terror in...

Economy

Oil Prices Extend Three-Day Decline as Hopes Rise for U.S.-Iran Strait of Hormuz Deal

Global oil prices continued to weaken on Wednesday, marking a third consecutive session of losses as growing optimism over a potential U.S.-Iran interim agreement eased concerns about disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz....

US Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rally Continues Despite SpaceX and AMD Earnings Pressure

U.S. stock index futures traded slightly higher late Tuesday after Wall Street closed at fresh record highs, supported by a strong rebound in technology shares and easing oil prices. However, gains in futures were capped...

Asian Stocks Rally as AI Optimism Lifts Tech Shares Across Regional Markets

Asian stock markets climbed sharply on Wednesday as renewed optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) boosted technology shares following easing oil prices, lower U.S. Treasury yields, and another round of strong...

Gold Price Holds Steady as Fed Rate Outlook and Jobs Data Keep Markets on Edge

Gold prices remained steady on Wednesday as investors weighed signs of progress in Middle East diplomacy against expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could keep interest rates elevated for longer. Traders also turned...

Indonesia Q2 2026 GDP Growth Beats Forecast Despite Market Concerns

Indonesias economy expanded 5.29% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, outperforming market expectations despite slowing from the previous quarter, according to official data released on Wednesday. The result...

Politics

Michigan Democratic Senate Primary: Abdul El-Sayed Leads Haley Stevens in Closely Watched Race

Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed held a slim lead over U.S. Representative Haley Stevens in Michigans Democratic U.S. Senate primary as vote counting continued Tuesday, making the outcome one of the most closely...

Trump Urges Exxon, Chevron to Cut Gas Prices After Record Oil Profits

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized ExxonMobil and Chevron for earning massive profits from elevated oil prices, urging the energy giants to lower fuel costs and return some of their gains to American consumers....

Brown University President Christina Paxson to Step Down After Clashes With Trump Administration

Brown University President Christina Paxson announced on Monday that she will step down at the end of the current academic year, concluding a tenure marked by major challenges, including a high-profile dispute with...

US Supreme Court Lets $655.5 Million Judgment Against Palestinian Authorities Stand During Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to temporarily block a $655.5 million judgment against the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), allowing the damages award to remain in effect while...

North Korea Rejects U.S. Cyber Threat Claims, Slams Allied Warning

North Korea has dismissed recent accusations by the United States and its allies over alleged cyber activities, calling them politically motivated and aimed at justifying pressure on sovereign nations. According to state...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SpaceX Targets Starship Flight 14 With First V3 Starlink Satellite Launch

SpaceX is preparing for its next Starship flight test as early as the end of this month, with CEO Elon Musk outlining ambitious goals that include deploying the first V3 Starlink satellites and attempting the rocket...

Samsung, SK Hynix Test AMEC Chipmaking Tools for China Backup Plan

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have reportedly been evaluating chipmaking equipment from Chinas Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) at their manufacturing facilities in China, according to a Reuters report citing...

Apple Restores Telegram to App Store After Content Policy Violation

Apple briefly removed Telegram from its App Store after a review found content that violated its App Store guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), the company confirmed on Monday. The messaging platform...

SK Hynix Bonus Dispute Deepens as Union Rejects Stock-Based Payout Proposal

SK Hynix and representatives of one of its South Korean labor unions resumed negotiations on Tuesday, holding a fifth round of talks over the semiconductor companys employee bonus structure at its Cheongju manufacturing...

Palantir Stock Soars as AI Demand Drives Strong Q2 Earnings and Higher 2026 Outlook

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) surged in after-hours trading on Monday after reporting stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings and raising its full-year 2026 guidance, fueled by accelerating demand for its...