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Mon, July 24, 2017 | 11:48

Opinion > Columnists > Andrei Lankov >

Democracy in name, democracy in essence

As the summer comes, so too arises the opportunity for the Republic of Korea to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its democratic transformation. While officially the ROK always portrayed itself as a liberal democracy, for all practical intents and purposes it became such only as the culmination of several events reached critical mass in the summer of 1987, an event most often described as a revolution in the minds and imaginations of nearly all Koreans. When the ROK was officially founded in August 1948, it professed an allegiance to the principles of liberal democracy as understood at the t...

Andrei Lankov | 2017-07-23 16:59

Nationalism, East Asian style

In the last decades of the twentieth century, particularly after the Cold War, it was widely believed that nationalism was retreating from international politics - at least among the most developed nations. The election of Donald Trump in the United States, Brexit, and the strong support of the once-fringe National Front party in France reverses this trend as an apparent backlash against globalization and liberalism has become an important feature of political discourse. Though these developments are recent manifestations, nationalism has been a constant in one part of the world. This area i...

Andrei Lankov | 2017-07-09 17:10

More equal than others?

The fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s off-hand statement that “Korea was once part of China,” made after his first summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, is another reminder that all history in East Asia is political. In many other parts of the world such an observation, irrespective of whether it is factually correct, would generate little public outcry. Indeed, it would be difficult to find an outraged Londoner harboring contempt for Italy when reminded that the United Kingdom used to be part of the Roman Empire (“part of Italy,” if you like). Similarly, Russia once was...

Andrei Lankov | 2017-06-11 16:54

Conservatives vs. progressives

The South Korean presidential elections are over. To the surprise of few, the country emerged deeply and sharply divided between two camps - self-described as “progressives” and 'conservatives’. It was the former that claimed victory, though with far below the majority of votes cast. These political titles are misleading for many Westerners eager to connect Korean politics to similar Western ideology and agendas. In actuality, however, the agenda and worldview of Korean “conservatives” are quite different from that of, say, the American GOP, and Korean 'progressives’ ignore many issues which...

Andrei Lankov | 2017-05-28 18:08

Anti-Americanism

It requires little imagination to predict the response of South Korean public opinion by the recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who suddenly, with apparent disregard for the earlier agreements and past precedents, demanded a one billion dollar payment for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment in Korea. What was on the cusp of completion now seems quite uncertain and more problematic now, and a new forthcoming wave of anti-U.S. sentiment should catch no one off-guard.

Andrei Lankov | 2017-05-14 16:58

China: an unnoticed giant

The relations between China and South Korea are bad. In March a poll indicated China overtook Japan as Korea’s most disliked foreign nation. The reason is simple: the South Korean decision to deploy the THAAD missile defense system annoyed China which reacted with introducing the “unofficial” but biting sanctions against South Korean companies. This is the worst situation since 1992.

Andrei Lankov | 2017-04-30 16:20

A note to my readers

Dear readers, I am sorry to say so, but this seems to be the last regular column on North Korea I shall publish in The Korea Times. Professional and personal issues have left me little choice but to cut down on the amount of journalistic writing, and from now on, I will write on North Korea only for some other specialized websites. The column has been around for nearly 15 years, with hundreds of pieces published by The Korean Times. I would like to express my gratitude to my editors and, of course, my readers. However, I will continue to contribute articles on topics that are not related to ...

Andrei Lankov | 2017-04-16 18:10

Fate of a fishmonger

Let’s introduce Ms. Yi (not her real name), one of many North Korean entrepreneurs and one of the pioneers of the country’s private economy.

Andrei Lankov | 2017-03-19 18:03

Taste of strawberries

A new item in North Korean markets has recently become all the rage - strawberries. The last two or three years have been marked by a proliferation of green houses, where North Korean farmers produce fruits once unheard of. The green house industry in North Korea is private, and its emergence was largely enabled by the Kim Jong-un agricultural reforms. Now, farmers can negotiate deals with agricultural cooperatives and rent land where they can erect greenhouses.

Andrei Lankov | 2017-03-05 17:27

North Korea's elite

As early as the 1980s, many observers both in and outside the communist bloc assumed North Korea, with its hereditary rule, grossly inefficient economy, and comedic personality cult propaganda was quite fragile. However, they were all proven wrong: the communist regimes in Europe have long disappeared, while North Korea is alive, and is still run by the same “one hundred families,” who are the same that ran the country some forty years ago.

Andrei Lankov | 2017-02-19 19:29

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Park's impeachment