Research Guides: Korean Studies: Organizations

Republic of Korea Government Ministries and Agencies

Click here to get a substantial list of links to the websites of all the major Korean government ministries and agencies. If a link to a particular government ministry or agency does not work, search online for the ministry or agency in question to access their website. Note: some websites may only be in Korean while others may have English language options.

Chong Wa Dae (청와대), Office of the President (The Blue House)
The official site of the Office of the President of the ROK. Also available in English.
Bank of Korea
Functions as the central bank in the Republic of Korea. Also available in English.
Policy Briefing (대한민국 정책브리핑)
Provides government press releases and information about government publications.
Korea.net
The official web portal of the Korean government.
Korean Culture and Information Service
Ministry in charge of introducing Korean culture to the world and uplifting the national image of Korea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry in charge of diplomacy, external economic policy, overseas Korean nationals, international situation analysis and overseas promotional affairs. Also available in English.
Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States of America
The official site of the Embassy of the ROK in the US.
U.S. Embassy-Seoul
The official site of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea.

Foundations and Nonprofit Organizations

The Korea Foundation / 한국국제교류재단
A nonprofit which supports a wide variety of research and international academic exchanges. The site is available in both English and Korean.
The Korea Society
A private nonprofit dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea.
National Research Foundation of Korea / 한국 연구재단
The organization seeks to optimize and advance the national basic research funding system that encompasses all academic research fields. Available in both English and Korean.
Sejong Society of Washington, D.C.
This organization seeks to prepare the next generation of American specialists on Korean affairs to think critically about U.S. foreign policy towards North and South Korea. The Sejong Society also aims to educate future specialists on the history, culture, and society of Korea.

Korean-American Organizations

The following resources are about the Korean diaspora in North and South America.

The Council of Korean Americans (CKA)
National nonprofit organization built in 2011. CKA mission is to advance the national voice and influence of the Korean American community through collaboration and leadership development.
Korean American Community Foundation (KACF)
KACF was founded in 2002 by a group of Korean American leaders in New York. KACF mission is to transform and empower communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and inter-community bridge building.
Korean American Historical Society
A nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the collective memory of Korean Americans through collecting, maintaining, and transmitting the heritage and achievements of Koreans living in the United States and abroad.
Korean Resource Center (민족학교)
An organization dedicated to empowering Korean American, low-income immigrant and people of color communities through social services, education, culture, advocacy, and grassroots organizing. Also available in Korean.
National Association of Korean Americans (NAKA)
NAKA was founded in 1994 as a non-profit, civil and human rights organization of concerned Korean Americans.
National Korean American Services & Education Consortium
A grassroots movement to provide a national progressive voice on major civil rights and immigrant rights issues and promoting the full participation of Korean Americans with the greater goal of building a national movement for social change.
The Society of Korean-American Scholars
A private, nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to engender intellectual exchanges in the global Korean community with a view to enlightening and empowering individual members of the community.
Korea-US Washington Forum 워싱턴 한미 포럼
The Korea-US Washington Forum (KUWF) was established in 2007 by prominent Korean Americans active n the Greater Metropolitan Washington area. KUWF share the goal of promoting good relations between the Republic of Korea and the United States.

Korean Research Institutes and Think Tanks: A Select List

The following resources are freely available online. In Korean. Some may have English language options.

Korea Development Institute (KDI)
A think tank contributing to the economic and social development of Korea.
Korea Energy Economic Institute (KEEI)
A think tank that aims to develop policies on national energy and natural resources, and contributes to the national economy by collecting, investigating, analyzing, and disseminating information.
Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET)
An economic think tank that carries out research and develops policy for national vision and goals. Recent research focuses on balanced regional development and new growth engines for the future.
Korea Institute of International Economic Policy (KIEP)
An government-founded institute concerned with the international economy and its relationship with Korea.
Korea Legislation Research Institute (KLRI)
National policy research institute that aims to provide advice and assistance in the formulation of the national legislative policies and of improving legal services.
Korea Research Institute of Human Settlements (KRIHS)
A research institute on spatial policies of Korea, territorial development, economic growth and life quality improvement.
Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency
A private organization that attempts to bolster the Korean economy through trade. Also available in English.
Samsung Economic Research Institute (SERI)
A think tank covering diverse areas ranging from the nation's high-tech front to research on issues and trends shaping East Asian economic and business environment.
Sejong Institute
A private non-profit research institute in the areas of security, national unification, and foreign affairs that is dedicated to suggesting a future map of the Republic of Korea.

Research Institutes and Think Tanks Outside of Korea

Korea-related think tanks outside of Korea:

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM)
An organization that encourages the development of trade and commerce between Korea and the United States.
The Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. It provides in-depth research on many local, national and global issues. The Asia Program at Brookings promotes policy debate and intellectual discussions on U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific as well as political, economic, security, and social issues relating to the world’s most populous and economically dynamic region.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The webpage on North Korea’s nuclear program where Carnegie experts assess its risk and discuss the policy options available as the global community attempts to gain a fuller understanding of the program.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations is an American, nonpartisan, foreign policy think tank. The link is for Asia and Pacific region subheading.
East Rock Institute
A nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to the enhancement and deepening of cultural understanding between Eastern and Western societies through innovative approaches to research and teaching.
Korea Economic Institute (KEI)
A non-profit educational organization focused on Korean economics and U.S.-Korea relations based in Washington, DC.
Korea International Trade Association
The organization represents the interests of Korea's international traders, is Korea's largest business association, and continues to support Korea's business community through research, training, and networking of Korean enterprises with the global trade community. Available in both English and Korean.
Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability
A public policy think-tank and community resource addressing critical security and sustainability issues such as the United States nuclear policy in Korea and the effect of the U.S.-China relationship on environmental insecurity.