Undercurrents

How the Iran Conflict is Testing an Already Strained US-ROK Alliance

While the alliance remains irreplaceable, Seoul will have to navigate it more flexibly as American priorities and plans grow less predictable.

Mar 25 • Gabriela Bernal

The Iran Conflict: Implications for U.S.-North Korea Diplomacy Moving Forward

Events in Iran will likely deepen Pyongyang’s nuclear resolve and its distrust of Trump.

Mar 3 • Gabriela Bernal

The 2026 U.S. National Defense Strategy: Implications for the Korean Peninsula | Changing Currents

Washington recalibrates security commitments as Seoul prepares to shoulder greater defense burden

Jan 26 • Gabriela Bernal

China’s Approach to North Korea in 2026: Stability, Influence, and Strategic Caution

Despite recent Xi-Lee meeting, room for expanded Chinese role in Korean diplomacy remains limited.

Jan 13 • Gabriela Bernal

Can ASEAN play a greater role on the Korean Peninsula?

North Korea turns to ASEAN to diversify its partnerships, creating opportunities for the bloc to play a more active role on the Korean Peninsula.

Oct 17, 2025 • Gabriela Bernal

What will it take to restart inter-Korean cooperation?

South Korea is stuck between an emboldened North Korea and a distracted United States

Aug 27, 2025 • Gabriela Bernal

The Evolution of Kim Jong Un's Cult of Personality

Recent developments suggest the North Korean leader is boosting his image while placing less focus on his predecessors

Jul 10, 2024 • Gabriela Bernal

The state of North Korean Women's Rights

An International Women's Day special feature looking at the state of women's rights in the DPRK

Mar 8, 2024 • Gabriela Bernal

The Donald Trump administration's approach to inter-Korean relations

Could a second Trump presidency help revive inter-Korean ties?

Jan 29, 2024 • Gabriela Bernal

A Bleak Outlook for Inter-Korean Relations in 2024

Prospects for unification fade while chances of renewed conflict increase

Jan 8, 2024 • Gabriela Bernal

The Road to 12/12: A Closer Look at South Korea's 1979 Military Coup

The rise of Chun Doo-hwan and the consequences for South Korea's democracy movement.

Dec 12, 2023 • Gabriela Bernal

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