KEI

What KEI does

KEI (Korea Economic Institute of America) is a privately held 501(c)(6) non-profit policy institute founded in 1982 and headquartered at 1800 K Street NW, Washington, D.C. The organization is dedicated to promoting economic, political, and security relations between the United States and the Republic of Korea through objective policy research, scholarly publication, and public outreach. KEI operates as a policy think tank with a lean staff of 11–50 employees, drawing on a network of resident and non-resident fellows from institutions including Stanford, Columbia, Seoul National University, and former U.S. Foreign Service officers.

KEI's operational product surface consists of four pillars: (1) publications, including the peer-reviewed Korea Policy journal, analysis articles, op-eds, and reports; (2) interactive data tools, including the U.S. Exports to Korea Explorer, Congressional District Data Explorer, Korean Economic Data dashboards, and Korea IRA Investments tracker; (3) media production, including the Eye on Korea podcast, Inside the Investment video series, and KEI Live event recordings; and (4) public diplomacy programs, including the Future of Korea city program and the Ambassadors' Dialogue series delivered in partnership with the World Affairs Councils of America (a network of 90 organizations). The organization has archived 856 past events and documented 734 media appearances.

KEI's business model is non-commercial: the organization is fully funded by the government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) and is registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) for acting on behalf of KIEP. All publications and resources are freely accessible with no paywall or registration, and no products or services are sold. KEI is governed by an independent board of directors and does not take positions on specific policies. Its customer base consists of U.S. policymakers, the American public, the academic community, and community and business leaders engaged through outreach programming.

Name

KEI

Legal name

Korea Economic Institute of America

Website

https://keia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KEI is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting economic, political and security relations between the US and South Korea.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAIAC

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Foreign Affairs & Diplomatic Services

SECONDARYEDADALAB

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

Keywords

• Policy research institute
• Think tank services
• Public diplomacy programs
• International relations research
• Korea economic analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KEI is a non-profit policy institute that conducts research, analysis, and public outreach on U.S.-Korea relations. It publishes the peer-reviewed Korea Policy journal, produces analysis and op-eds, develops interactive data tools tracking U.S.-Korea trade and Korean economic indicators, and runs public diplomacy programs including Future of Korea city programs and Ambassadors' Dialogue events.

Product overview

KEI (Korea Economic Institute of America) is a U.S. policy institute and think tank, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of publications, research tools, and public programs rather than a unified software product or platform. The organization publishes the Korea Policy journal, maintains multiple data exploration tools (U.S. Exports to Korea, Congressional District Data Explorer, Korean Economic Data, and Korea IRA Investments), produces media content including the Eye on Korea podcast, Inside the Investment video series, and KEI Live event recordings, and runs public diplomacy programs such as Future of Korea and Ambassadors' Dialogue. KEI also produces annual surveys and reports on American attitudes toward the Korean Peninsula.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Korea Policy: KEI's flagship journal providing peer-reviewed analysis on developments affecting the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
• Future of Korea
• Ambassadors' Dialogue
• Eye on Korea
• KEI Live
• Inside the Investment
• KEI Weekly

Products and services

• Korea Policy Journal KEI's flagship peer-reviewed academic journal providing analysis on developments affecting the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Published bi-annually in Washington, D.C., bridging scholarly insight and policy relevance on strategic, political, and economic issues.
• U.S. Exports to Korea Data Explorer Interactive trade data explorer showing the impact of the KORUS FTA on U.S. merchandise and services exports to Korea since March 2012, with state and district-level breakdowns.
• Congressional District Data Explorer Comprehensive district-level analysis tool showing trade impact and economic relationships between Korea and specific U.S. congressional districts, including job creation and export values.
• Korean Economic Data Comprehensive Korean economic indicators including GDP growth, consumption, trade balances, FDI inflows, consumer price index, and exchange rates with interactive charts.
• Korea IRA Investments Tracking tool for Korean investments and business activities under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, monitoring clean energy projects and manufacturing investments.
• Eye on Korea Podcast KEI's flagship podcast delivering expert insights and analysis on the most pressing issues in U.S.-Korea relations.
• KEI Live Audio and video recordings of KEI's public events including expert panels, ambassador dialogues, and policy briefings.
• Inside the Investment Video Series Video series exploring the people, projects, and policy behind Korean investment in the United States.
• Future of Korea Program KEI's flagship public diplomacy program strengthening interest in Korea affairs among community leaders, scholars, and students across the United States, held annually in partnership with World Affairs Councils of America.
• Ambassadors' Dialogue Program Program taking the U.S. ambassador to South Korea and the South Korean ambassador to the United States to cities across the country to discuss the bilateral relationship.
• KEI Surveys and Polling Projects Annual public opinion surveys focused on U.S.-South Korea relationship, tracking American attitudes toward the alliance, economic relationship, cultural exchange, and specialized polling projects.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• World Affairs Council of America (WACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of 90 nonpartisan organizations engaged in international affairs programming. KEI partners with WACA for the Future of Korea program, issuing RFPs for local councils to host programs focused on U.S.-Korea relations.
• Local World Affairs CouncilscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal World Affairs Councils across the United States host Future of Korea programs in their cities. KEI works with councils to customize programs and covers all travel and hotel costs. Partners include councils in Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Burlington, Philadelphia, Grand Rapids, and others.
• Academic Institutions and ScholarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEI collaborates with leading scholars and academics from the United States, Korea, and beyond through the Korea Policy journal, New Academic Symposium, and commissioned research. Contributions come from scholars, practitioners, and emerging voices across various fields.
• U.S. Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Department of State officials participate in Future of Korea delegations and Ambassador's Dialogue programs. State Department officials contribute to public diplomacy outreach alongside Korean Embassy officials and KEI staff.
• Embassy of the Republic of KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorean Embassy officials, including ambassadors and diplomatic staff, participate in Future of Korea delegations and Ambassador's Dialogue programs to engage with American audiences across the country.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Korea Society: Non-profit organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding between the United States and Korea, headquartered in New York. Closely comparable to KEI in mission, programming (events, cultural exchange, policy discussions), and bilateral-relations focus.
• Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP): KEI's parent funder and Korean government policy research institute. KIEP performs similar research, analysis, and international economic policy work from the Korean side, making it the natural counterpart peer.

Broad incumbents

• CSIS Korea Chair: Dedicated Korea program within the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a major D.C. think tank. Directly competes for Korea-policy thought leadership, events, and policymaker access with substantially larger institutional resources.
• Brookings Institution: Major D.C. policy research institution with active East Asia and Korea-related programming. Comparable in producing policy analysis, hosting events, and engaging U.S. and Korean officials, but with broader portfolio and far larger budget.
• Atlantic Council: Major international affairs think tank with active Indo-Pacific and Korea-focused programming. Competes for policymaker attention and media placement on Korea-related geopolitical and economic issues.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Established international affairs think tank with East Asia policy expertise. Comparable in producing analysis and convening policy discussions on Korea, though with broader global agenda.
• RAND Corporation: Large policy research organization with extensive Korea-related work, particularly on security, defense, and North Korea. Overlaps with KEI's security-policy coverage and competes for defense-policy audience.
• Council on Foreign Relations: Premier U.S. foreign-policy institution producing Korea-related analysis and convening senior officials. Comparable in policy influence and audience access, though with much broader global mandate.
• Stimson Center: D.C.-based think tank with Indo-Pacific and Northeast Asia programming. Comparable in policy research, events, and convening on regional security issues affecting Korea.
• Asia Society Policy Institute: Policy arm of Asia Society focused on U.S.-Asia relations, including Korea-related programming. Comparable in convening, publishing, and engaging policymakers on Asian affairs with a broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/koreaeconinst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/koreaeconomicinst
• Facebookfacebook.com/keiaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/korea-economic-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/keiaorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KEI