Lami Kim

South Korea’s Nuclear Latency May Be Washington’s Least Bad Option With U.S. extended deterrence under strain, managing Seoul’s nuclear hedging may be safer than trying to stop it.

I’m excited to share my latest op-ed, adapted from my forthcoming book with Stanford University Press, Everything but the Bomb: South Korea’s Nuclear Hedging Strategy. foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/08/s...

YouTube video by Orcitè Orcite Holiday Film 2025 – Hearts on the Way

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQs-...

Map - Lowy Institute Asia Power Index Map the distribution of power across 27 countries in the Asia-Pacific with @LowyInstitute Asia Power Index

For those who are interested, the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2025 is now available at power.lowyinstitute.org, and there will be a series of articles on the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2025 on my personal website in early 2026.

South Korea's Flirtation with Nuclear Latency In 2024, Lami Kim wrote “South Korea's Nuclear Latency Dilemma,” where she argued that while South Korean attitudes toward nuclear latency were growing

It’s behind a paywall, but I wanted to share my latest article in War on the Rocks. warontherocks.com/2025/11/sout...

It’s Just Energy!: The Politicization of Energy in South Korea The politicization of energy in South Korea cannot be allowed to hold the country's energy transition policies hostage.

I’m excited to share my latest article, in which I argue that while South Korea must urgently scale electricity for AI, its energy discourse has grown increasingly politicized—undermining pragmatic policy choices. nationalinterest.org/blog/energy-...

Small Modular Reactors: The Coming Wave of Nuclear Energy Competition Published in The Washington Quarterly (Vol. 48, No. 3, 2025)

I'm thrilled to share my latest article where I argue Russia and China are leading in the development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)—the “next big thing," and their potential dominance carries significant geopolitical implications. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Interesting @lamikim.bsky.social point in this @yarotrof.bsky.social piece. I think it would be very difficult for South Korea to avoid responding to such a North Korean attack in a way that averted general war - another reason, of course, for Seoul not to seek the bomb. www.wsj.com/world/shifti...

Should South Korea Develop Nuclear Weapons? Counterpoint · Episode

I was honored to speak about South Korea's nuclear armament with a very prominent scholar, Dr. Jennifer Lind, for a Foreign Policy podcast. open.spotify.com/episode/3tOC...

Will South Korea’s Nuclear Ambitions Subside in the Next Five Years? The incoming South Korean administration will confront significant challenges, and one of the most pressing concerns will be addressing North Korea’s nuclear threats amid growing uncertainty over U.S....

⚛️ Will South Korea’s Nuclear Ambitions Subside in the Next Five Years?

Analysis by @lamikim.bsky.social, Professor, Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies

Read here @csis.org @geopolitics.csis.org:
www.csis.org/analysis/wil...

Yoon’s Disappointing Foreign-Policy Legacy The impeached South Korean president leaves behind a record riddled with contradictions.

Yoon has been removed from office, and my piece just published in Foreign Policy assesses his foreign policy legacy. He put forth a grand vision for South Korea’s expanded role in the world, but his lofty rhetoric was never translated into meaningful action. foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/04/s...

I know!

The Risks of South Korea’s Nuclear Armament Under a Troubled Democracy On President Donald Trump’s first day in office, he referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power.” Just a few months before, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said he would “exponentially” increase his...

In my latest analysis, just published in United States Institute of Peace, I argue that South Korea's nuclearization could be destabilizing rather than stabilizing, particularly in light of Yoon’s reckless North Korea policy. www.usip.org/publications...

I'm excited to announce the release of APCSS' latest publication, "The Indo-Pacific Mosaic," edited by Dr. James Minnich. I'm honored to have contributed a chapter on implementing South Korea's Indo-Pacific Strategy. I hope you find this edited volume valuable! dkiapcss.edu/the-indo-pac...

(3rd LD) N. Korea launches suspected hypersonic missile weeks before Trump's inauguration | Yonhap News Agency (ATTN: RECASTS headline; ADDS more details throughout)By Chae Yun-hwan SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Y...

N. Korea launches suspected hypersonic missile weeks before Trump's inauguration | Yonhap News Agency en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2024...

Taking a page from Ukraine war, SDF carves out growing role for drones Whether for use in the air, on land or at sea, the SDF is gradually integrating these increasingly capable and often autonomous systems into their units.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces are gradually integrating drones into their units for use in the air, on land or at sea, taking lessons from the war in Ukraine on how such assets can act as force multipliers.

South Korea is experiencing subzero temperatures, and heavy snow fell on Saturday night. Citizens demanding Yoon’s arrest spent the night outside the presidential residence, enduring the snowfall. Those unable to join in person sent winter gear, food, and coffee to support them.

South Korea's prosecution just announced that Yoon Suk-yeol directly instructed commanders to "shoot, break down doors, and drag out the lawmakers." Even after the National Assembly lifted martial law, he reportedly said, "I can declare martial law a second or third time, so continue as planned."

South Korea's National Assembly is poised to impeach PM Han, who appears to have colluded with Yoon, which may explain Han's refusal to appoint Constitutional Court justices—a strategic move to reinstate Yoon. While confusion may ensue, the best way to restore stability is to remove Yoon asap.

Power vacuum in South Korea, a key U.S. ally, raises security concerns The political paralysis could be particularly destabilizing as South Korea prepares for a Trump White House and renewed scrutiny of the alliance, analysts say.

Power vacuum in South Korea, a key U.S. ally, raises security concerns wapo.st/4iA5SfO

Yes, apparently.

Yoon just justified his imposition of martial law as the legitimate right of the president and "not subject to judicial review." Just not true. His declaration of martial law was illegal because it didn't meet the required conditions, and he sought to prevent the National Assembly from lifting it.

‘Paralysed’: South Korea’s diplomacy in limbo after Yoon’s martial law bid Seoul’s global reputation has been dented as analysts warn of the adverse impact on multiple fronts after Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law saga.

‘Paralysed’: South Korea’s diplomacy in limbo after Yoon’s martial law bid sc.mp/4c3ax?utm_so... via @scmpnews

North Korea breaks silence on 'insane' martial law effort in South Korea In its first coverage of last week’s short-lived martial law order, North Korean state media focused on protests calling for the ouster of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Chutzpah Defined: North Korea calls South Korea a dictatorship. www.nbcnews.com/news/world/n...

📆 12/12
🕤 9:30 AM ET

Last @csis.org Capital Cable episode of the year, we are going to talk about #MartialLaw in #SouthKorea & more

Great group:
1️⃣ @myhlee.bsky.social
2️⃣ @victordcha.bsky.social
3️⃣ @sydseiler.bsky.social
4️⃣ Mark Lippert, former US amb to Korea

Yoon’s Coup Attempt Shows Sad State of Civil-Military Relations The legacy of South Korea’s military dictatorship is stronger than it seems.

My latest op-ed has just been published in Foreign Policy, where I argue that, as shocking as it may seem, South Korea's martial law has always been a possibility due to its troubled civil-military relations. foreignpolicy.com/2024/12/06/s...

Great graphic of what the impeachment process might look like in #SouthKorea 🇰🇷

Vote is 7:00 PM (KST) this Saturday, 12/7.

Made by @hyunsuinseoul.bsky.social & @reuters.com team

Source: www.reuters.com/graphics/SOU...

서울의 봄 | 한국 영화 다시보기 - 온디맨드코리아 서울의 봄 (2023), 드라마 시대극 영화. 황정민, 정우성, 이성민, 박해준, 김성균 등 출연. 1979년 12월 12일 저녁 7시부터 이튿날 새벽 4시까지, 대한민국의 운명이 바뀐 그날 밤의 기록. 서울의 봄, OnDemandKorea에서 시청하세요!

Perhaps a good time to (re)watch this.
(English subtitle available)

www.ondemandkorea.com/player/vod/1...