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Fri, June 23, 2017 | 14:05

Opinion > Columnists > Andrei Lankov >

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

Lords of money, lords in offices

Most first-time Western visitors to Pyongyang tend to come back somewhat surprised. They had expected to see the very embodiment of a Stalinist hell. Well, you know the picture: soldiers on every street corner sporting machineguns, ready to mow down the masses, pedestrians in colorless clothing slowly moving amidst mammoth, concrete shells of buildings. Instead, what they see is a city of reasonably well-attired residents, a booming restaurant culture, and a diverse array of major Western brands on sale, all purchased with relative ease (once you have the money, of course).

Andrei Lankov | 2017-02-05 17:21

A bit of (realistic) pessimism

The election of Donald Trump who, in spite of his hard-living tendencies, has been talking about meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for hamburgers, led to an increase in talks about a deal between Pyongyang and Washington. Nonetheless, as somebody who has dealt with North Korea for some 30 years, I have a rather pessimistic, if realistic, answer to the perennial question: “What could bring about a solution to the North Korean nuclear problem?” My answer is simple: If by 'solution’ one means 'complete denuclearization of North Korea,’ nothing short of a military strike or a revolution in...

Andrei Lankov | 2017-01-22 16:50

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