Alexander Eid is an Associate at The Asia Group where he supports the Korea practice with in-depth research on the political, strategic, and economic forces at play on the Korean Peninsula. He adds primarily to products related to semiconductor and telecommunications policy, Indo-Pacific defense and security, and U.S. economic initiatives in Asia. In addition, Alex supports a range of IT projects and the execution of various client meetings and events.
Concurrently, Alex writes on Korean affairs as a volunteer for the Sejong Society of Washington DC and assists with the needs of North Korean refugees through the non-profit Aurora NK. Prior to joining TAG, Alex worked at the Asia Policy Center at the Heritage Foundation where he contributed to research projects concerning North Korea’s response to COVID-19, Uighur forced labor, and U.S. semiconductor policy.
Before coming to DC, Alex studied Korean language at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea as a Critical Language Scholar (2018) and a Boren Scholar (2019-2020). While in Korea, Alex participated in 1,000 hours of formal language instruction while living with a South Korean host family and joining fellow students in a variety of cultural activities focused on Korean film, history, and society.
Alex received a Master’s in Asian Studies (MASIA) degree from Georgetown University focused on the U.S. alliance structure in Asia, South Korea-Japan relations, and nuclear non-proliferation. Alex holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Chicago, one in East Asian Languages & Civilizations and one in Physics. He also has experience with physics lab work, including at the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space physics where he researched cosmic blazar radiation and galactic magnetic helicity. Alex hails from Colorado where, during the pandemic, he worked at a local eye doctor’s office, developing eyewear fashion as a hobby. Alex has working-level proficiency in Korean.