This brief covers the role of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the layoffs of federal employees. It explains the founding background and characteristics of DOGE, followed by a case analysis and an examination of the U.S. Congress’s response. Additionally, it includes a discussion with Troy Stangarone, Director of the Wilson Center, during the KIPEC Roundtable. The discussion focuses on the executive orders issued within the first 30 days of the Trump administration’s second term. Furthermore, an analysis of U.S.-Canada trade relations is provided based on a report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The KIPEC brief also covers key congressional updates from February and March, along with major legislative trends in the U.S. Congress. For more details, please refer to the attached file. This report is written in Korean. For inquiries, please contact Research Fellow Donghyeon Kim at dhkim@kipec.org   

The KIPEC Brief analyzes the confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, nominated for Secretary of Defense, on January 14, 2025, and Marco Rubio, nominated for Secretary of State, on January 15, 2025. Marco Rubio became the first member of Trump's cabinet to pass Senate confirmation, receiving unanimous approval. Pete Hegseth's nomination passed with a narrow vote of 51 in favor and 50 against, marking the smallest margin in history. Additionally, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) report analyzes one of President Trump’s executive orders regarding the renaming of certain places. This executive order, signed by the President on January 20, includes changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "American Gulf" and restoring the name of North America's highest peak from Denali to Mount McKinley. The brief also covers key legislative trends and updates from the U.S. Congress for January, with details of the confirmation hearings summarized in table format. For further details, please refer to the attached document. This report is written in Korean. For inquiries, please contact Research Fellow Donghyeon Kim at dhkim@kipec.org 

The latest KIPEC brief analyzes the results of the U.S. presidential and congressional elections, based on insights from the inaugural KIPEC conference held on November 20. It also explores ways to strengthen the ROK-US alliance and enhance interparliamentary exchanges under the incoming Trump administration and a Republican-led Congress. Additionally, the brief examines ticket information and viewing guidelines related to the U.S. Presidential Inauguration scheduled for January 20, 2025, using a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. It also summarizes key updates from the U.S. Congress for December and January, as well as legislative trends from January 2025. For further details, please refer to the attached document. This report is written in Korean. For inquiries, please contact Research Fellow Donghyeon Kim at dhkim@kipec.org 

In this KIPEC Brief, we analyze the involvement of the U.S. Congress in the administration's defense policy, based on the roundtable discussion with Professor Jordan Tama of American University. We also provide a summary of a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on how the U.S. Congress has responded to emergencies, such as the 9/11 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining the policy responses, administrative actions, and constitutional considerations, including amendments. Finally, we summarize the major legislative trends in the U.S. Congress for September and October, as well as the significant congressional and political events scheduled for October. For further details, please refer to the attached document. This report is written in Korean. For inquiries, please contact Research Fellow Donghyeon Kim at dhkim@kipec.org 

In this issue of the KIPEC Brief, we hosted a roundtable with Philip Wallach, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). This roundtable, part of KIPEC's regular program, aims to foster discussions every month with think tanks, congressional, and government officials in Washington, D.C., focusing on ways to enhance ROK-US parliamentary exchanges and address key issues. In this session, we compared and analyzed the scope and methods of ROK-US congressional involvement in the administration's foreign policy. Additionally, we have summarized the Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on artificial intelligence (AI) and political campaign finance. This report covers the use of AI in political campaigns, recent legislative developments, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) rulemaking activities, and potential policy considerations in the U.S. Congress. The brief also includes an overview of the key legislative trends in the U.S. Congress for August and September, along with significant congressional news and political events. For further details, please refer to the attached document. This report is written in Korean. For inquiries, please contact Research Fellow Donghyeon Kim at dhkim@kipe.org