By Jane Lee — According to the South Korean Ministry of Unification, the number of North Koreans entering South Korea annually has decreased over time since the late 2000s. The continued dramatic decline was observed since Kim Jong-un assumed power…
By Amy Searight — In this two-part series, Dr. Amy Searight, senior adviser and director of the CSIS Southeast Asia Program, previews five key issues to watch in Southeast Asia in 2020. This installment addresses U.S.-ASEAN relations, climate change and…
By Kim Mai Tran & Audreyna Tjiptardjo — Southeast Asia is home to a booming digital economy and rapid mobile growth. With about 400 million users among ASEAN’s total population of 630 million, the region’s digital users are more numerous…
By Kim Mai Tran — Southeast Asia’s healthcare industry is at a crucial crossroad. Economic development and disposable income have increased the demand for quality healthcare; demographic changes, the emergence of new chronic diseases and health challenges, and the…
By Kim Mai Tran — The movement by all Southeast Asian economies to embrace the “digital revolution” presents a tremendous opportunity to empower women, especially financially. Intentional and unintentional biases against women in the region have, for too long, excluded…
By Kim Mai Tran & Andreyka Natalegawa — In recent years, urban centers have become a focal point of development in ASEAN member states. With over 40 percent of Southeast Asia’s population based in cities, leaders from across the region…
By Brian Harding — Southeast Asia is home to many of China’s most high-profile Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, including Kyakpyu port in Myanmar, a high-speed railway in northern Laos, and now-stalled rail and pipeline projects in Malaysia. While…
By Kim Mai Tran & Andreyka Natalegawa — In his remarks at the United States-ASEAN Summit in November 2018, Vice President Mike Pence announced the U.S.-ASEAN Smart Cities Partnership in an effort to spur U.S. investment in the region’s digital…
By Natasha Burrows & Kim Mai Tran — Economists posit that the U.S.-China trade war will have long-standing economic and geopolitical impacts on Southeast Asia. The export-oriented, globally-integrated economies of ASEAN will suffer most from trade barriers and tensions, particularly…
The CSIS Energy and National Security Program has released a new compendium report that provides a summary of insights from a series of events held by CSIS in 2018 as part of the CSIS-Pertamina Southeast Asia Energy Initiative. This initiative…