* The joint presidential briefing by the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of National Defense for the second half of 2026 is being held at the Blue House on August 5, 2026. © Blue House Il Young Jeong Senior Research Fellow_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University On August 5, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of National Defense jointly presented their policy reports to President Lee Jae-myung for the second half of 2026. Traditionally, presidential policy briefings have been held only once at the beginning of the year. The Lee government, however, added a summer briefing as a midterm assessment of its policies. The occasion also served as an opportunity to evaluate and adjust the government’s policies toward the Korean Peninsula over the past year. In this column, I will examine the Lee Jae-myung government’s policy of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, identify its key challenges, an...
* AFC Women’s Champions League semifinal match between Naegohyang Women’s FC and Suwon FC Women is underway. ⓒ Il Young Jeong Il Young Jeong Senior Research Fellow_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University This is the story of the AFC Women’s Champions League, which electrified fans at Suwon Sports Complex in May. The tournament, which generated unprecedented sellout crowds, passionate support, and numerous talking points for a women’s football competition, concluded with Naegohyang Women’s FC lifting the trophy. This column seeks to take a calm and measured look at what Naegohyang Women’s FC’s visit to South Korea has left behind. Now that some of the excitement has subsided, it is worth reflecting on the significance of a visit that was as controversial as it was remarkable. An Unanticipated Trip to South Korea At the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in February, North Korea reaffirmed that inter-Korean relations should be defined as those be...