Myung-koo Kang
Assc Professor
Weissman School of Arts and Sciences
Department: Political Science
Areas of expertise:
Email Address: myung-koo.kang@baruch.cuny.edu
> View CV- Biography
- Teaching
- Research and Creative Activity
- Grants
- Honors and Awards
- Service
Having completed military service in my native South Korea, I pursued doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where I specialized in International Relations, Comparative Political Economy, and East Asian Studies. My scholarly work centers on analyzing financial crises and state responses, drawing extensively from the experiences of Japan, South Korea, and China. I currently teach courses that examine political economy, Asia's emergence as a global force, and the strategic dimensions of US-Asia relations.
Education
Ph.D., Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
M.A., Political Science, University of California, Berkeley Berkeley CA
M.A., International Relations, Seoul National University Seoul South Korea
B.A., International Relations, Seoul National University Seoul South Korea
| Semester | Course Prefix | Course Number | Course Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2018 | AAS | 3346 | The Rise Of Asia World Affairs |
| Fall 2017 | AAS | 3346 | The Rise Of Asia World Affairs |
| Spring 2017 | AAS | 3346 | The Rise Of Asia World Affairs |
| Fall 2016 | AAS | 3346 | The Rise Of Asia World Affairs |
| Spring 2016 | AAS | 3346 | The Rise Of Asia World Affairs |
| Spring 2015 | AAS | 3346 | The Rise Of Asia World Affairs |
| Fall 2014 | AAS | 3346 | The Rise Of Asia World Affairs |
| Spring 2014 | AAS | 3346 | The Rise Of Asia World Affairs |
Books
Kang, M. Convenient Necessity: How American Domestic Politics Built the San Francisco System in Asia. In Progress.
Kang, M. Divergent Debts, Common Origins: Institutional Templates and the Allocation of Economic Risk in Japan and Korea. In Progress.
Journal Articles
Kang, M. (2018). Financial Transformation in South Korea: The role of U.S.-trained Technocrats. Asian Survey, 58 (4)(635-659).
Kang, M. (2018). The Confidence Trap: Japan's Past Bubble and China's Recent Bubble. New Political Economy, 23 (1)(1-26).
Kang, M., & Ha, E. (2015). Government Responses to Financial Crises: Identifying Patterns and Policy Origins in Developing Countries. World Development, 68(264-281).
(2014). The Politics of Bank Bailout in Japan: A Cognitive Capture and Leadership View. The Pacific Review, 27 (2)(193-215).
(2014). Democratic Transition and Intra-Party Politics: The Distribution of Key Party Positions in Democratizing South Korea. The Journal of Korean Studies, 19(1). 7-36.
Kang, M., & Ha, Y. (2011). Creating A Capable Bureaucracy with Loyalists: The Internal Dynamics of the Korean Developmental State, 1948-1979. Comparative Political Studies, 44 (1)(78-108).
Kang, M. (2010). Is Japan Facing a Public Debt Crisis? Debt Financing and the Development of the JGB Market. Asian Politics and Policy, 2 (4)(557-582).
(2009). Too Fast To Adjust: The Sequence and Consequences of Bank Restructuring in South Korea. Asian Survey, 49(2). 243-267.
COVID-19 Fiscal Policy Responses Across Welfare State Regimes. In Progress.
Book Chapters
Kang, M. (2016). A Unified Financial Supervisory Model in South Korea: Origins and Evolution. In Yung Lee, H., & Kim, S. (Eds.), The Changing Role of Korean State: In the Post Developmental Era (pp. 73-92). Logos Verlag Berlin.
Kang, M., & Haggard, S. (2015). The Politics of Growth in South Korea: Miracle, Crisis, and the New Market Economy. In Lancaster, C., & van de Walle, N. (Eds.), Oxford Handbook on the Politics of Development (p. 15 pages). Oxford. Oxford University Press.
Kang, M. (2015). Fiscal Performance in South Korea (1970-2012): Growing Non-Budgetary Indiscipline. In Park, G., & Ide, E. (Eds.), Shifting Fortunes: Deficits and Debt in the Industrialized Democracies (pp. 116-145). New York, NY. Routledge.
Kang, M. (2014). South Korea's Foreign Economic Policies and Government Policies. In Ravenhill, J., Foot, R., & Pekkanen, S. (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of International Relations in Asia (pp. 199-216). Oxford University Press.
Kang, M. (2014). Government Intervention for Resolving Non-Performing Loans in Japan and South Korea, 1998-2006. In Yung Lee, H. (Ed.), A Comparative Study of East Asian Capitalism (pp. 45-77). University of California, Berkeley. Institute of East Asian Studies.
Kang, M. (2011). Global Financial Imbalances and Asia’s Strategic Choice. Beyond National Boundaries: Building a World without Walls (pp. 251-285). Seoul,South Korea. The Academy of Korean Studies.
Media Contributions
Kang, M. (2026). When the Tangerine Crossed the River: Korea's Single-Stock Leveraged ETF Problem.
The column argues that single-stock leveraged ETFs — warned about by US regulators but government-promoted in Korea — drove record KOSPI volatility. Without America's swap and options buffers, Korean funds trade shares directly at the close, amplifying swings. It calls for an independent investigation and structural rule changes.
Kang, M. (2026). Wartime Command Transfer: Dismantling the Myths.
The column argues OPCON transfer requires no Senate ratification — it rests on a 1954 executive agreement that explicitly permits change by mutual consent. American public opinion opposes automatic intervention without congressional approval. The "Washington concerns" cited by Korean conservatives reflect a small revolving-door network, not broad US sentiment.
Kang, M. (2026). Why the Won Wobbles: What Taiwan's Dollar Reveals.
Comparing 293 days of won and Taiwan dollar data, the column finds the won 1.86 times more volatile despite similar outflow pressures. The real cause isn't retail investors abroad but structure — Korea's 1999 opening of NDF trading, which Taiwan blocked in 1998, transmits offshore speculation straight into domestic rates.
Kang, M. (2025). China's Rare Earth Controls: Trump's Playbook, Copied.
China's October rare earth export controls replicate US semiconductor restrictions — extraterritorial reach, thresholds, case-by-case licensing — swapping technology for materials. Aimed at Washington, they hit Korea hardest, potentially straining the US-Korea alliance. The column urges diplomacy to buy time while Korea diversifies supply chains over a decade.
Kang, M. (2025). Why Did Trump Postpone the Reciprocal Tariff? The Bond Market's Revenge (Ohmynews, April 11).
Kang, M. (2025). Why South Korea Must Prepare for a US Credit Downgrade (Oymynews, June 19).
Kang, M. (2025). Trump's 'Digital Finance Time Bomb' : Structural Flaws in America's 'Genius Act' Should Serve as a Cautionary Tale (Ohmynews, July 21) .
Kang, M. (2025). How Canada and Mexico Blocked Trump's Tariff Bomb; Before Signing the $350 Billion Deal, Automatic Tariff Exemption Clause Must Be Added to KORUS FTA (Ohmynews Aug. 7).
Kang, M. (2025). Japan's $550 Billion Trap: Three Pitfalls Korea Must Avoid .
Japan's investment MOU with Washington leaves it neither investor nor creditor: special-purpose vehicles shield the US from liability, excess profits split 90:10 in America's favor, and refusing any project triggers permanent interest forfeiture plus tariff threats. The column urges Korea to disclose US demands transparently before negotiating.
Kang, M. (2025). Trump's Monroe Doctrine: What the 2025 Security Strategy Signals.
Trump's belated National Security Strategy revives the Monroe Doctrine, prioritizing the Western Hemisphere while scaling back Asian and European commitments. It never labels China a systemic rival; North Korea goes unmentioned. The column warns that as Washington and Beijing bargain, Korea risks becoming a card on the table.
Kang, M. (2025). The Anchor Lifts: Japan's Rate Hike and the Carry Trade Unwind.
The Bank of Japan's expected hike to 0.75% threatens the yen carry trade — up to $2 trillion in cheap borrowed money underpinning global risk assets. Prior hikes triggered sharp selloffs. With Japanese rates rising as US rates fall, unwinding pressure intensifies, potentially hitting Treasuries and the won.
Kang, M. (2024). Trump's Nuclear Paradox: Can Seoul Arm While Washington Talks to Pyongyang? (Ohmynews, July 10).
Kang, M. (2024). Why Trump's Reelection Remains Likely Despite Mounting Legal Challenges (Ohmynews, April 16).
Kang, M. (2020). The Future Prediction: Hedgehog vs. Fox (in Korean).
Kang, M. (2020). John Bolton’s Memoir and American Exceptionalism (in Korean).
Kang, M. (2020). Reforming the National Assembly: The New Politics for a New Era (in Korean).
Kang, M. (2020). In the case of Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” (in Korean).
Kang, M. (2020). Now is the Time to Discuss the Disaster Basic Income (in Korean).
Ohmynews
Government Reports or Monographs
Kang, M. (2021). US-ROK Alliance: Advancing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. pp.38-55.
Presentations
Kang, M. (2026, January 17). A Better Future for the US-ROK Alliance. 2022 RINSA Security Forum. Seoul, South Korea: The Center for Security Studies, The Korea National Defense University.
Kang, M. (2026, November 23). A Transformation Era: The Biden Administration's foreign policy toward the Korean Peninsula. The Great Shift: Continuity and Change in World Politics. Seoul, South Korea: The Korea National Defense University.
Kang, M. (2020, December 1). The future of the US-ROK Alliance after the 2020 US presidential election. 2020 U.S. Presidential Election and the Future of U.S.-ROK Alliance. Virtual Zoom meeting: Former Members of Congress: The Congressional Study Groups.
Kang, M. (2019, May 2). Three Critical Issues in US-ROK Alliance. ROK-US Track 2 Strategic Conversation. Washington, D.C.: Sejong Institute, Brookings Institution.
Kang, M. (2019, May 25). The Collapse Thesis of North Korea and Its Critiques. Institutionalization of the Peace Process on the Korean Peninsula. Washington, D.C.: Korea Law Research Institute & Law School of American University.
Kang, M. (2019, June 19). Revisiting the Collapse Thesis of North Korea: The Origins and Its Evolution in the U.S. Policymaking Community. The Korean Peninsula and US-ROK Alliance: Credibility, Connectivity, and Practicality. Washington, D.C.: Korea Economic Institute of America.
Kang, M. (2019, September 23). Promoting regional consensus on the path toward peace in Korea. Seoul-Washington Forum Fall 2019. Washington, D.C.: Council of Foreign Relations & Sejong Institute.
Kang, M. (2019, September 24). The military defense cost-sharing issues in US-ROK relations. ROK-US Alliance Cooperation International Conference. Washington, D.C.: Sejong Institute & Hudson Institute.
Kang, M. (2018, April 7). The Historical Origins of the One-Man Dominance (Chongsu) in Korean Chaebols: A Financial Control Thesis. 59th Annual Convention. San Francisco: International Studies Association.
Kang, M. (2018, May 24). Emulation: A Korean Model of Economic Development. University of California, San Diego: School of Global Policy and Strategy(GPS)’s Korea-Pacific Program.
Kang, M. (2018, April 6). Monetary Spillovers to Developing Asia. 59th Annual Convention. San Francisco: International Studies Association.
Kang, M. (2018, August 30). A Captured State: Big Business and Its Network Politics in South Korea. Annual Meeting. Boston: American Political Science Association.
Kang, M. (2016, March 1). Japan's past, Korea's future? A Korean model of financial liberalization and its consequences. : The Center for Korean Studies (University of Washington).
Kang, M. (2016, November 17). A Novel Solution or Mimicry? A Korean Model of Financial Liberalization. Kim Koo Forum on Korea Current Affairs. Harvard University: Korea Institute.
Kang, M. (2015, June 27). Diffusion, Institutional Templates and Mutation: The Korean Case of Financial Liberalization. Yeosu Summer Conference. Yeosu, South Korea: Korea Association for International Studies.
Kang, M. (2015, December 15). A Korean Institutional Template: A Conceptual Framework. Workshop on Korean Politics. Seoul, Korea
Kang, M. (2015, December 11). China's Asset and Credit Bubble: Is it different from Japan's one?. Annual Conference. Seoul, South Korea: the Korea Association for International Studies.
Kang, M. (2014, May 25). Is China’s Bubble Different? Lessons from the Japanese Bubble Economy of the 1980s. 10th Shanghai Forum. Shanghai, China: Fudan University.
Kang, M. (2013, August 12). Fiscal Performance in Korea. Explaining Fiscal Performance: An International Study. Los Angeles: Loyola Mary Mount University.
Kang, M. (2013, January 6). The Politics of Fiscal Performance in Korea. Explaining Fiscal Performance: An International Study. Tokyo, Japan: Keio University.
Kang, M. (2013, June 29). Addiction to Uncertainty: Regulatory Rush and the Exceptional Growth of Financial Derivatives Markets in South Korea. Annual Fellow Program. Seoul, South Korea: East Asia Institute.
Kang, M. (2013, April 12). Fiscal expansion vs. Austerity: A Comparative Analysis of Fiscal Policy Shift in the United States, Germany, Britain, and Japan. Annual Meeting. Chicago: The Mid-West Political Science Association.
Kang, M. (2011, December 21). Freer Markets, Unrealized Gains: The Consequences of Capital Market Liberalization in Korea. Critical Issues in Korean Political Economy. Berkeley, CA: Center for Korean Studies.
Kang, M. (2011, February 18). Government Responses to Financial Crises: Identifying Patterns and Policy Origins. The first Southern California Comparative Political Science conference. Riverside, CA: Dept. of Political Science, U.C. Riverside.
Kang, M. (2011, September 4). Government Responses to Financial Crises: Identifying Patterns and Policy Origins. APSA Annual Meeting. Seattle: American Political Science Association.
Kang, M. (2011, November 6). Politics after Democratization. Seoul National University Brain Network Workshop. Los Angeles, CA: Seoul National University Alumni Association.
Kang, M. (2010, February 27). A Financial Hub in East Asia: Is it Possible and Desirable for Korea?. Symposium on "Contemporary Korea: Problems and Prospects". Los Angeles, CA: Center for Korean Studies, UCLA.
Kang, M. (2010, September 29). Global Financial Imbalances and Asia’s Strategic Choice. The 2010 Global Forum on Civilization and Peace. Seoul, Korea: The Academy of Korean Studies.
Kang, M. (2010, October 29). Economic Ties between Japan and Korea. The Future of Korea-Japan Relations: Economics, Culture and History. Los Angeles, CA: The Korean Studies Institute, USC.
Kang, M. (2009, February 27). The Irony of Korean Financial Reforms: Why Does Korea Suffer More?. Korean studies colloquium series. Berkeley, CA: Center for Korean Studies, U.C. Berkeley.
Kang, M. (2009, March 28). Government Intervention for Resolving Non-Performing Loans in Japan and South Korea, 1998-2006. Conference on East Asian Capitalism. Berkeley, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley.
Kang, M. (2009, May 5). Global Financial Crisis and the Systemic Risk in the Korean Banking Sector. Academic Paper Series. Washington, D.C.: The Korea Economic Institute.
Kang, M. (2009, June 22). Cross-border Banking and Financial Regulatory Reforms in South Korea. Korea University, Seoul, Korea: The Academy of Korean Studies and the Institute of East Asian Studies at U.C. Berkeley.
Kang, M. (2009, October 10). Surgical vs. Non-Surgical Intervention: Two Ways of Resolving Non-performing Loans. The Rising stars in Korean Social Sciences. Los Angeles, CA: The Korean Studies Institute, USC.
Kang, M. (2009, September 4). Public Debt and Fiscal Consolidation in Japan: An Analysis on the JGB Markets. APSA Annual Meeting. Toronto, Canada: American Political Science Association.
Kang, M. (2008, November 22). Financial Liberalization, the Crisis and Recovery in Korea. Workshop at "Strengthening Korean Studies". Berkeley, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley.
Other Scholarly Works
Kang, M. (2026). U.S. Debt, Dollar Hegemony, and a Fracturing Financial Order: What It Means for Korea.
Kang, M. (2024). A Tale of Two Koreas: From Reunification Dreams to the Two State Reality. The New Paradigm: A Magazine of Global Perspectives.
Kang, M. (2019). The Trump Risk and US-North Korea Nuclear Talks. 6.
Reviews
Kang, M. (2026,March 3). THE SOUTH KOREAN ECONOMY, By Sunil Kim and Jonson Porteux, Agenda Publishing [distributed by Columbia University Press], 2022.. Pacific Affairs.
Kang, M. (2017,August 1). A Korean Model of Development: Sustainable and Transferrable. Cambridge University Press: Journal of Asian Studies.
Kang, M. (2013,February 1). Review of Asia’s Unknown Uprisings. New Political Science.
Kang, M. (2010,January 1). Review of East Asian Regionalism. Journal of East Asian Studies.
Kang, M. (2008,April 1). Review of Korea in Asia: East Asian Integration and the China Factor. Journal of East Asian Studies.
Kang, M. (2006,April 1). Review of Japan's Financial Crisis:Institutional Rigidity and Reluctant Change. Pacific Affairs.
Research Currently in Progess
Kang, M.(n.d.). Testing the Alternative: mBridge, the Hengli Episode, and the Empirical Viability of a Bifurcated Financial Order. In Progress.
Working paper, June 2026. Argues that dollar payment hegemony rests on three infrastructural layers no rival system addressed simultaneously before mBridge, and uses the 2026 Hengli sanctions episode to test whether the alternative holds under pressure.
Kang, M.(n.d.). One Semiconductor, Two Currencies: Onshore–Offshore NDF Integration and the Divergent Volatility Paths of the Korean Won and the New Taiwan Dollar, 1994–2026.. In Progress.
Article manuscript, draft complete. Traces the won's persistently higher volatility to Korea's decision to bridge its offshore NDF market to spot in 1997–99, where Taiwan walled its own off.
Kang, M.(n.d.). Engineering Volatility: Single-Stock Leveraged ETFs, Forced Closing-Price Rebalancing, and the 2026 Korea–Taiwan Divergence. In Progress.
Article manuscript. Shows that Korea's 2026 volatility spike, absent in Taiwan despite the same semiconductor boom, follows from a regulation forcing leveraged ETFs to rebalance physical shares at the close.
| Title | Funding Agency Sponsor | Start Date | End Date | Awarded Date | Total Funding | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revisiting the Regime Collapse Thesis: The Case of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis | PSC-CUNY 49 | 07/01/2018 | 06/30/2019 | 04/15/2018 | 3499.52 | Completed |
| Revisiting the North Korean "Regime Collapse Thesis": The Origins and Its Evolution in the U.S. Policymaking Community | Korea Institute for International Economic Policy | 12/01/2018 | 05/31/2019 | 11/30/2018 | 31500 | Completed |
| Unconventional Monetary Easing Policies and Their Global Spillover Effects | PSC-CUNY 48 | 07/01/2017 | 06/30/2018 | 04/14/2017 | 3499.02 | Completed |
| In China's Bubble Different? Comparison with the Japanese Bubble Economy in the 1980s | PSC-CUNY 47 | 07/01/2016 | 06/30/2017 | 04/15/2016 | 3500 | Completed |
| Honor / Award | Organization Sponsor | Date Received | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postdoctoral fellowship | Stanford University (Asia Pacific Research Center) | 2006 | A post-doc fellow for the Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center. |
| Scholarship for foreign studies | The Korean Foundation for Advanced Studies | 1998 | Scholarship for 5 year Ph.D. study (full tuition with living expenses) |
Department
| Committee Name | Position Role | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Coordinator | 2/1/2021 | Present | |
| Making Internship Blog & Maintenance | 11/1/2016 | 8/31/2019 | |
| New Recruitment for IR/Comparative Politics | Attendee, Meeting | 9/1/2016 | 11/30/2016 |
| Online Course Development Coordinator | 3/1/2015 | 2/28/2016 | |
| Honors program, Second reader | 1/1/2014 | 12/31/2014 | |
| New recruitment for European politics | Committee Member | 10/1/2014 | 11/30/2014 |
College
| Committee Name | Position Role | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Coordinator | Committee Member | Present | |
| Assessment Coordinator | Present | ||
| Political Theory Search Committee | Committee Member | 12/16/2024 | |
| Awards Committee | Committee Member | 4/3/2024 | |
| Awards Committee | Committee Member | 4/5/2023 | |
| Comparative Politics Search Committee | Committee Chair | 5/15/2022 | |
| Making Internship Blog & Maintenance | 8/31/2019 | ||
| Honors Thesis Committee | Committee Member | 7/31/2019 | |
| Curriculum Committee | Committee Member | 5/31/2019 | |
| Global Governance series seminar, The Weissman Center for International Business | Speaker | 4/12/2018 | |
| New Recruitment for IR/Comparative Politics | Attendee, Meeting | 11/30/2016 | |
| Online Course Development Coordinator | 2/28/2016 | ||
| Global Studies Minor Program | Attendee, Meeting | 10/31/2015 | |
| Honors program, Second reader | 12/31/2014 | ||
| New recruitment for European politics | Committee Member | 11/30/2014 | |
| The Weissman Center for International Business | Speaker | 11/20/2014 | |
| College For a Day Program | Faculty Mentor | 10/25/2013 |
University
| Committee Name | Position Role | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSC-CUNY Research Grant | Reviewer of Proposals | 3/1/2026 | 3/31/2026 |
| PSC-CUNY Research Grant | Reviewer of Proposals | 3/1/2025 | 3/31/2025 |
| PSC-CUNY Research Grant | Reviewer of Proposals | 3/1/2024 | 3/31/2024 |
Professional
| Organization | Position Role | Organization State | Organization Country | Start Date | End Date | Audience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuscript reviewer: The British Journal of Political Science, Journal of Political Studies, Review of International Political Economy, Governance, Journal of Politics and Policy, New Political Economy, Asian Survey, Socio-Economic Review, The Journal of the Society for Social Studies, Journal of Asian Studies, Democratization, Current Sociology, The Journal of Japanese Political Science, Asian Politics and Policy, Political Studies, Journal of Government and Opposition, Journal of Contemporary Asia, Journal of East Asian Studies | 1/1/2011 | Present | ||||
| De Gruyter Publishing Co. | Reviewer, Book | 2/1/2025 | 2/28/2025 | International | ||
| The Korea Foundation | Reviewer, Grant Proposal | Korea, South | 9/1/2018 | 10/31/2018 | International | |
| Workshop Organizer, "A Korean Institutional Template: A Conceptual Framework" | 12/15/2015 | 12/15/2015 | ||||
| Panel Discussant, The Mid-West Political Science Association | 4/1/2013 | 4/30/2013 | ||||
| Panel Co-Organizer, American Political Science Association | 9/1/2009 | 9/30/2009 |
Public
| Organization | Position Role | Organization State | Organization Country | Start Date | End Date | Audience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Advisory Board of Korea's Foreign, Seucrity, and Unification Policy | Committee Member | Korea, South | 11/15/2024 | Present | International | |
| Ohmyenws (Online News Media) | Columnist | Korea, South | 4/15/2024 | Present | International | |
| Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean daily newspaper) | Columnist | Korea, South | 10/3/2019 | 8/15/2021 | International | |
| TV Commentator for Korea & East Asian affairs | CGTN America | 4/1/2017 | 2/28/2020 | International |