United States

South Korea

Economics

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Jan. 26 that he was increasing "reciprocal" tariffs on South Korea as well as tariffs on South Korean automobiles, pharmaceuticals and lumber goods from 15% to 25% because the South Korean legislature has failed to "enact our Historic Trade Agreement."

South Korea, U.S.: Trump Raises Tariffs Over Seoul's Slow-Walking of Trade Deal

China

Japan

Military & Security

Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Jan. 23 the dissolution of the lower house of the Diet, with the campaign period set to begin on Jan. 27 and the vote scheduled for Feb. 8, marking the shortest window in Japan's history from dissolution to voting, Kyodo News reported on Jan. 23.

Japan: Takaichi Dissolves Lower House To Push Fiscal, Defense Expansion

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

South Korea's Artificial Intelligence Act came into effect on Jan. 22, Reuters reported the same day.

South Korea: Seoul Rolls Out AI Safety Law

U.S. investment companies Altimeter and Greenoaks filed arbitration claims under the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement asserting that the South Korean government was discriminating against U.S. e-commerce company Coupang, in which both investment companies have large stakes, and thereby violating the terms of the agreement, Axios reported on Jan. 22.

South Korea, U.S.: Coupang Dispute Threatens Warming Trade Ties

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Nara, Takaichi's home city, where they discussed economic security cooperation, including on critical mineral supply chains, Yonhap News Agency reported on Jan. 13.

South Korea, Japan: Lee and Takaichi Seek Cooperation, Avoid Historical Debates

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is in Shanghai with a business delegation following a Jan. 5 meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in which they discussed technology and cultural goods exchanges and their shared history of fighting for independence from Japan, Yonhap News Agency reported on Jan. 6.

South Korea, Japan: Lee's Historical Visits, Trade Opportunism Constrain Tokyo Ties

North Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, where the two sides signed 15 memorandums of understanding, including on establishing a ministerial-level commercial dialogue and deepening cooperation on artificial intelligence and cultural product exchanges, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 5.

South Korea, China: Lee-Xi Chat Rosey on Economic Ties, Mixed on North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a factory working on production of the country's first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, with photos showing the hull -- often one of the last stages of submarine construction -- fully intact, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Dec. 25.

North Korea: Kim Unveils Nuclear-Armed Submarine

Assessments

Israel

Palestinian Territories

United Kingdom

India

Egyptian trucks and heavy machinery on Oct. 26, 2025, on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: A Gaza Border Reopening, EU Leaders Visit India

Venezuela

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Ukraine

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet takes off from Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport on December 15, 2025 in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. If U.S. strikes escalate and cause significant casualties, it could make retaliatory measures -- including the arbitrary detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or the harassment of energy sector vessels in the region -- more likely.

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: South Korea's President Visits Beijing, U.S. Operations in Venezuela

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Madagascar

Mali

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Canada

Paraguay

Egypt

Iran

Lebanon

Morocco

Qatar

Syria

Turkey

Australia

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Mongolia

Myanmar

Philippines

Thailand

Vietnam

Europe

Bulgaria

Russia

Afghanistan

Nepal

Pakistan

Flight routes.

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

Angola

South Africa

Banners bearing portraits of leaders of the G20 on Nov. 20 in Johannesburg. The South African government has focused the G20 summit's agenda on issues key to African countries.

The Weekly Rundown: A High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

Cameroon

Cote d'Ivoire

Tanzania

Argentina

Netherlands

Supporters of Argentine President Javier Milei's Liberty Advances (LLA) party wave flags during a campaign rally in Rosario, Argentina, on Oct. 23, 2025.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Argentina Holds Midterm Elections, Trump Travels to Asia

Snapshots

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025.

Sanae Takaichi's appointment as prime minister will reduce short-term political instability in Japan and strengthen U.S. ties, but her conservative government will struggle to recover domestic support and could alienate neighboring countries.

New Premier Takaichi a Quick Fix for Japan's Long-Term Political Problems

Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected LDP leader, on Oct. 4 in Tokyo.

Takaichi will lean into populism, spurring near-term growth but exacerbating long-term economic challenges, while her nationalism will bolster Japan's military and boost U.S. ties even as it strains those with Japan's neighbors.

Japan's Conservative Takaichi Set To Become Next Prime Minister

Taiwan

Germany

France

The Maanshan nuclear power plant is seen next to a beach in Pingtung, in southern Taiwan, on April 29, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: Iran Meets With European Powers, Taiwan Holds a Nuclear Referendum

Bolivia

Brazil

Uruguay

Singapore

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Mercosur is increasingly opening its markets in pursuit of free trade agreements with partners around the world, particularly as U.S. protectionism shifts global trade dynamics.

The Geopolitics of Trade: What Changing Trade Dynamics Mean for Mercosur

Mexico

A Cambodian soldier stands on a truck with a rocket launcher in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand, on July 25, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. Tariff Deadline Passes, Thai-Cambodian Border Tensions Persist

A photo taken on Feb. 21, 2025, shows Subaru vehicles bound for shipment at a port in Yokohama, Japan. 

The deal is a win for Japan's economy and its ruling party, but it may hasten Prime Minister Ishiba's exit. It will also help South Korea and Taiwan secure their own U.S. trade deals.

U.S. Trade Deal Is a Mixed Victory for Japan, a Template for Regional Partners

Lee Jae-myung and his wife celebrate his projected victory in South Korea's presidential election on June 4, 2025, in Seoul, South Korea.

Global Elections

Lee Jae-myung and his progressive party will pursue pro-labor domestic policies, along with U.S. tariff relief and improved ties with China and North Korea.

After Months of Political Tumult, South Korea Elects a New President

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

South Korea, U.S.: Trump Raises Tariffs Over Seoul's Slow-Walking of Trade Deal

Japan: Takaichi Dissolves Lower House To Push Fiscal, Defense Expansion

South Korea: Seoul Rolls Out AI Safety Law

South Korea, U.S.: Coupang Dispute Threatens Warming Trade Ties

South Korea, Japan: Lee and Takaichi Seek Cooperation, Avoid Historical Debates

South Korea, Japan: Lee's Historical Visits, Trade Opportunism Constrain Tokyo Ties

South Korea, China: Lee-Xi Chat Rosey on Economic Ties, Mixed on North Korea

North Korea: Kim Unveils Nuclear-Armed Submarine

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