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Fri, November 16, 2018 | 05:49

Opinion > Columnists > John Burton >

The other Korean wave

Korea has many types of glamorous models. But the one that excites foreign governments the most is called the "Miracle on the Han."

John Burton | 2013-05-22 17:15

Magic realism in North Korea

Adam Johnson, the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Orphan Master’s Son,’’ recently raised eyebrows among North Korean watchers when he described his first and only visit to Pyongyang to conduct research for his book.

John Burton | 2013-05-08 17:11

'Enter the Dragon'

Last week, China and Russia jointly warned against any unilateral foreign military intervention in North Korea over its recent nuclear test in a statement clearly aimed at the United States. The two countries said that any action against North Korea had to be approved by the United Nations Security Council, where China and Russia have veto powers, although there is little indication that the U.S. is contemplating such an action.

John Burton | 2013-02-27 17:09

Is North Korea a paper tiger?

After North Korea conducted its third nuclear test this week following the recent launch of a long-range ballistic missile, it is perhaps appropriate to ask whether these provocative acts are signs of military weakness rather than strength. Is their purpose to cover up the vulnerabilities of the North Korean People’s Army instead of Pyongyang posing an aggressive threat to its neighbors?

John Burton | 2013-02-13 17:05

Park the peacemaker

It was 99 years ago when Europe, at the height of its prosperity and global influence, suddenly plunged into a calamitous conflict. There were many reasons for the outbreak of World War I, although the main cause was that the rise of Germany posed a challenge to the traditional European powers of Great Britain, France and Russia. Nonetheless, the war was avoidable if cooler heads had prevailed following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, an event whose only importance laid in the fact that it provided a pretext for the declaration of hostilities that caught man...

John Burton | 2013-01-30 17:15

Korea's Japanese problem

Just a few days before Park Geun-hye was elected as the new Korean president, Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in Japan. That event could have a major impact on Park’s administration over the next five years. The state of Korean-Japanese relations might even overshadow those between Seoul and Pyongyang in terms of importance during her term.

John Burton | 2013-01-16 17:57

New president's economic challenges

It is regrettable that the main candidates in the just-concluded presidential election did not spend more time talking about the structural challenges facing the Korean economy, such as low productivity rates, the high level of household debt or the impact the aging population will have on future government spending. But with a new team now set to enter the Blue House, here is a checklist of the difficult economic issues the incoming administration must deal with over the next five years:

John Burton | 2012-12-19 16:53

Korea's 'soft power' quest

The recent success of Psy and K-pop groups has boosted talk that Korea has gained the benefits of “soft power” in raising its international stature. But is hallyu, or the Korean wave, the best way to achieve this goal and does Korea want to be identified overseas mainly by its pop culture?

John Burton | 2012-12-05 17:04

Korea’s weak currency strategy

The value of the Korean won continues to fall and is soon likely to breach the threshold of 1,200 to the U.S. dollar. Hail to the almighty weak won.

John Burton | 2012-06-06 16:37

Tackling problems in property market

While the property markets in Hong Kong and Singapore are reaching eye-watering heights, Seoul has the opposite problem: housing prices have stagnated over the last two years, according to Kookmin Bank’s Seoul Price Index.

John Burton | 2012-05-23 17:06

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Choking on worsening air pollution