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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

Vietnam Stocks Join FTSE Emerging Market Indexes, Unlocking Billions in Foreign Investment

Vietnamese stocks officially joined FTSE Russells emerging market indexes on Monday, marking a major milestone for Vietnams stock market after years of reforms designed to improve market access and attract foreign...

Gold Prices Hold Steady Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit, Middle East Risks

Gold prices were largely unchanged in Asian trading on Monday as investors remained cautious ahead of high-level U.S.-China talks while continuing to monitor geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Spot gold traded...

Yen in Focus as BOJ, Fed Rate Hikes Reshape Currency Markets

The Japanese yen remained the center of attention in currency markets on Monday after last weeks sharp decline fueled speculation that Tokyo could intervene to support the currency. Investors were also reassessing the...

France Debt-to-GDP Ratio Seen Hitting Record 119.3% in 2026

Frances public debt is projected to climb to a record 119.3% of gross domestic product in 2026 as the government struggles to contain its budget deficit and restore confidence in the countrys finances. The French finance...

US-China Talks Target AI, Tariffs Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng began high-level talks in New York on Sunday, seeking progress on artificial intelligence, tariffs and critical minerals ahead of this weeks summit...

Politics

Trump-Xi Summit Puts Trade Truce and Taiwan in Focus

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in Washington on September 24, with expectations for a major breakthrough limited as both leaders focus on preserving stability in U.S.-China...

Denmark Says Greenland Sovereignty Protected in US Military Deal

Denmark has insisted that its sovereignty over Greenland will remain intact under an emerging agreement with the United States that could significantly expand the American military presence on the strategically important...

Trump Open to Pezeshkian Meeting as Iran Tensions Escalate

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during this weeks United Nations General Assembly in New York, even as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated. Fox...

Michelle Bachelet Withdraws From UN Secretary-General Race

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has withdrawn her candidacy to become the next United Nations secretary-general, ending her campaign after failing to secure sufficient support among members of the UN Security...

North Korea Fires Two Ballistic Missiles From Wonsan

North Korea fired two short-range missiles from its eastern coast on Sunday, marking its second round of missile tests in roughly a week as tensions rise over US-led military exercises in the region. South Koreas military...

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

SoftBank Launches $11 Billion Bond Sale to Fund OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group Corp. has launched a major bond offering worth $10 billion and 1 billion to finance its latest investment in OpenAI, according to a term sheet released Monday. The Japanese technology investment group is...

Trump Plans Federal AI Force and AI Czar

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he plans to create a federal AI Force and appoint an artificial intelligence czar, outlining an effort to accelerate U.S. AI development while using existing laws to address...

SpaceX Nasdaq 100 Weight to More Than Double in Rebalance

SpaceX is set to gain significantly more influence in the Nasdaq 100 Index when the benchmark completes its quarterly rebalance on Monday, with the companys weighting expected to more than double. According to Bloomberg,...

Westinghouse Targets $50 Billion Valuation in U.S. IPO

Westinghouse Electric Co. is seeking a valuation of more than $50 billion for its planned U.S. initial public offering, as the nuclear technology company moves closer to a public market debut amid growing interest in...

NASA, Boeing Discuss Expanding Starliner Missions

NASA is holding discussions with Boeing about expanding the use of its Starliner spacecraft for future missions, potentially giving the troubled vehicle a larger role in U.S. human spaceflight plans. The space agency and...