Leonard Hong is a Research Assistant with The New Zealand Initiative and has written research notes on East Asian nations’ Covid-19 containment responses. In 2019, he completed his BA/BCom conjoint degree at The University of Auckland majoring in Politics & International Relations, History, Economics, and International Business. Before joining the Initiative, he was a research intern at The Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney working on economic, cultural and global affairs.
Leonard is a member of the National Unification Advisory Council, a constitutional agency advocating Korean Reunification. He is also a 2020 Prime Minister’s Scholar for Latin America, and a Youth Councillor with the US Embassy.
Latest reports:
Walking the path to the next global financial crisis (2021)
The Need to Build: The demographic drivers of housing demand (2021)
Research Note: Lessons from East Asia's Covid-19 Containment (2020)
Research Note: Lessons from Abroad: Taiwan's Covid-19 Containment Model (2020)
Research Note: Lessons from abroad: South Korea's Covid-19 containment model (2020)
Research Note: Lessons from abroad: Singapore’s Covid-19 containment model (2020)
Scroll down to read the rest of Leonard's work.
Phone: 04 499 0790
US President Herbert Hoover once stated, “Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt.” Right now, young people have a reason to be concerned. Since Covid-19 arrived 18 months ago, New Zealand’s net public debt has nearly doubled. Read more
Content creators are the fastest growing type of small business worldwide. Today, over 50 million people consider themselves 'influencers' on social media. Read more
Bryce Wilkinson and Leonard Hong discuss their latest report "Walking the path to the next global financial crisis" and the implications for New Zealand. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
The world’s major economies are walking into the next global financial crisis. Moreover, their authorities do not seem willing to change direction. Read more
Both the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2007-2008 and the Covid-19 pandemic caused disruptions to the world economy. During the GFC, stock markets plummeted, and millions of people became unemployed. Read more
New Zealand must prepare for next global financial crisis New Zealand’s economy suffered less damage from the pandemic than analysts expected. But new research warns, however, that just as we are emerging from the COVID-19, a new crisis is already on the horizon. Read more
If you want to know everything about ancient Egypt, read a magazine article about it. If you want to know a little less, read a book. Read more
The process of decision-making is complex. Furthermore, its significance transcends both the private and public sectors, and is crucial not just in politics. Read more
House prices have risen to all-time highs. According to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand, prices have risen by 30.6 percent in the last year. Read more
One of the finest shows on economic affairs was ‘Clarke and Dawe’. The two satirists collaborated from 1989 until John Clarke’s death 2017. Read more
Recently, you have been really responsible with your finances. You stopped buying chicken paninis, cut back on the flat whites, and eating out at KFC. Read more
Research Assistant Leonard Hong joined Bernard Hickey for an interview to discuss his latest report, The Need to Build: Demographic drivers of the housing market. In the report, Leonard Hong modelled 36 scenarios and found that New Zealand's population gets older and larger by 2038. Read more
Humans are complicated. We are intelligent species that dominated the world with our knowledge and brilliance. Read more
The nationwide housing shortage and soaring prices are only going to get worse. Leonard Hong, author of our The Need to Build report, tells Kathryn Ryan on Radio NZ that demand-side solutions such as the bright-line test are just tinkering around the edges. Read more
Last week’s Covid cases in Auckland delayed Finance Minister Robertson’s housing policy announcements. The housing shortage has been at crisis levels for a long time, but the delay in this case is not likely to make any difference. Read more