United States

North Korea

South Korea

Military & Security

Politics

South Korea detected at 8:10 a.m. that North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles from Junghwa south of Pyongyang, Yonhap News Agency reported on Oct. 22. 

North Korea: Missiles Launched Ahead of APEC, Regional Leadership Talks

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in the South Korean port city of Busan, and they issued a joint statement pledging to strengthen cooperation on societal and technological issues, Yonhap News Agency reported on Sept. 30.

South Korea, Japan: Leader Summit Confirms Ties, But Political Headwinds Remain

Economics

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's Cabinet announced that it would dissolve the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and replace the Korea Communications Commission with a new regulator, Yonhap News Agency reported on Sept. 30.

South Korea: Ministry Revamp Strengthens President, Portends Greater Spending

China

A South Korean defense ministry official stated that South Korea and the United States had made significant progress in recent defense meetings regarding a long-standing plan for the United States to transfer operational control (OPCON) of U.S. and Korean forces in South Korea to the South Korean government during times of war, Reuters reported on Sept. 24.

South Korea, U.S.: Seoul Claims Major Progress in Talks on Operational Control Transfer

North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un said on Sept. 21 at a parliamentary speech that "If the U.S. drops its hollow obsession with denuclearization and wants to pursue peaceful coexistence with North Korea based on the recognition of reality, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the U.S.," North Korean state media KCNA reported on Sept. 22.

North Korea, U.S.: Kim Open to Trump Talks, on One Condition

South Korea's presidential office released a statement on Sept. 16 noting it was in no rush to conclude a U.S. trade deal "just because of time pressure" if it meant sacrificing Korean companies' interests.

South Korea, U.S.: Lack of Deal Strains Ties as Japan's Lower Tariffs Kick In

Canada

Turkey

Europe

France

United Kingdom

EU ambassadors discussed whether the bloc’s 150 billion euro ($176 billion) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan facility for defense investments and joint procurement could be used to finance arms purchases from the United Kingdom and Canada, with France pushing to cap such purchases at 50% of their value to prioritize EU-based defense manufacturers, Euractiv reported on Sept. 12.

EU: Member States Debate Third-Country Participation in SAFE Defense Joint Procurement Initiative

During a joint press conference with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized greater U.S. natural gas sales to South Korea and long-term shipbuilding cooperation in reference to their trade deal, CNBC reported on Aug. 25. 

South Korea, U.S.: Trump-Lee Summit Focused on Cooperation, North Korea

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

Assessments

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

Iran

Taiwan

Thailand

Germany

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

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

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

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Venezuela

Lebanon

United Arab Emirates

Indonesia

Singapore

Vietnam

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

Cambodia

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

U.S.-China Relations

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

Poland

Ukraine

Russia

Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian delegates meet for peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2025. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine-Russia Talks, Mexico's First-Ever Judicial Elections

A U.S. courthouse facade with columns in lower Manhattan, New York.

The court ruling nullifies most -- though not all -- of the Trump administration's tariffs, giving U.S. trading partners temporary breathing room in negotiations while the White House searches for alternative trade measures.

The White House's Tariff Ambitions Bend -- But Do Not Break -- Under the Weight of a Court Ruling

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.

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

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

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. 

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

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

North Korea: Missiles Launched Ahead of APEC, Regional Leadership Talks

South Korea, Japan: Leader Summit Confirms Ties, But Political Headwinds Remain

South Korea: Ministry Revamp Strengthens President, Portends Greater Spending

South Korea, U.S.: Seoul Claims Major Progress in Talks on Operational Control Transfer

North Korea, U.S.: Kim Open to Trump Talks, on One Condition

South Korea, U.S.: Lack of Deal Strains Ties as Japan's Lower Tariffs Kick In

EU: Member States Debate Third-Country Participation in SAFE Defense Joint Procurement Initiative

South Korea, U.S.: Trump-Lee Summit Focused on Cooperation, North Korea

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