Damage to Park's US visit The positive side of President Park geun-hye's visit to Washington was seriously marred by an embarrassing sexual assault case involving Blue House spokesman Yoon Chang-jung, who was accompanying the president. The alleged victim was a female inter..
New phase of confrontation North Korea has slowed down or exhausted its war threats, while rejecting offers of dialogue from Seoul and Washington. Fortunately, most such threats seem to have ended as rhetoric amid continuing tensions. Pyongyang was not expected to respond po..
Searching for exit strategy For more than a month now, North Korea has been threatening an impending apocalyptic nuclear war. Yet, it is unlikely they would start a suicidal, full-scale war at this point, as they still have a lot to hang onto, including nuclear weapons, to re..
To avoid nuclear war Despite an ominous exchange of mutual threats between North Korea and the U.S.-ROK allies that has reached its highest level of danger in a long time, there is good reason to believe a major war is not imminent: the North Korean leadership is not s..
Coping with more threats An all-out campaign of belligerent rhetoric by North Korea included threats to turn Seoul and Washington into a sea of fire by a preemptive nuclear strike. This particular threat does not seem to be taken seriously by Washington, which believes..
Policy shift on N. Korea North Koreas third nuclear test in January has forced the new government of President Park Geun-hye to retreat from a trust building process, aimed to improve inter-Korean relations and making progress in denuclearization, to a security-first ..
New strategy on N. Korea With a third nuclear test on Feb. 12, North Korea has burnt its bridges, destroying the hope of denuclearization that the international community held onto for the past two decades and blowing up a chance for renewed inter-Korean engagement under t..
Sanctions and tension North Korea has vowed to conduct a high-profile third nuclear test, targeting the United States and warning against South Koreas participation in the implementation of a new U.N. sanction. U.S.-ROK military sources conclude that preparations ..
Challenges for Park The coming inauguration of a new administration raises expectations of a better life in Korea. Even those who opposed Park Geun-hye 48 percent of the voters should hope she succeeds. If she fails, the country as a whole will not become a be..
Park's foreign policy President-elect Park Geun-hye has appointed former Defense Minister Kim Jang-su as foreign policy point man for her transition team that will prepare for next months inauguration of the new administration. Although foreign policy, including the N..
2 crucial months before inauguration The election of Park Geun-hye as the countrys first female president opens a new horizon of democratic development in Korea. She received an undisputable mandate to lead the nation for the next five years with 51.6 percent of the vote with 15,77..
Rocket or missile North Korea says it will launch another three-stage rocket between December 10 and 17 to put a practical satellite into orbit. The United States and its allies condemn such a launch as provocative, as it uses the same ballistic missile tech..
Obama's Asia policy and Korea For a first foreign trip after his re-election, President Barack Obama chose Asia last week, starting with Thailand, making a first ever trip to Burma as the U.S. president to go there, and concluding his tour in Cambodia, where he attended the Eas..
Obama's reelection and priorities WASHINGTON Many nations around the world are wondering what Barack Obamas reelection means to them.
Reality check on NLL With less than two months before the Dec. 19 presidential election, the controversy over the Northern Limit Line (NLL) persists as a campaign issue in Korea.
Political experiment in Korea Koreans are experiencing an extraordinary three-way presidential race among Park Geun-hye of the ruling Senuri Party, Moon Jae-in of the opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) and independent Ahn Cheol-soo. The election is two months away, but i..
