In North Korea, all authority flows from Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. He has reinstated the party as the central hub to consolidate his power and bring elites to heel.

Once locked in war, Vietnam and the United States have built mature ties rooted in mutual economic and security interests.

China and India increasingly vie for strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean, while also cooperating on some transnational security issues.  

South Korea’s megaconglomerates have helped lift the country out of poverty, but their extraordinary influence could put the health of the Korean economy at risk.