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An exercise in terrorism

The death of Otto Warmbier provides a powerful reminder of the torture and terrorism perpetrated by one of the world’s most repressive regimes. Americans are no doubt aware of the tyranny of the dynasty led by a man who revels in ordering the development of long-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to the U.S., but how many know about the suffering of the millions who have died in his gulag system?

Donald Kirk | 2017-06-22 17:08

Romance vs. adultery

"The Bridges of Madison County," a 1995 American film, portrays a four-day extramarital affair of an Italian wife Francesca (Meryl Streep) with a photographer Robert (Clint Eastwood). The film earned $182 million worldwide and was well received by critics. It was also a box office hit in South Korea and its musical version is going well here, too, at Chungmu Arts Center in Seoul.

Park Moo-jong | 2017-06-22 16:56

Gaya and government interventions in history

Some controversy has arisen since President Moon Jae-in publicly encouraged greater study of the ancient civilization of Gaya and nominated a particular National Assemblyman for a cabinet position. President Moon vowed to do things differently from his disgraced predecessor, but both of these steps seem mostly to have continued a disturbing pattern.

Korean Historical Sense | 2017-06-21 17:03

Thinking of Otto Warmbier

I’m finding it sad and disturbing to read about Otto Warmbier. He’s the American college student who took a trip to North Korea in 2015 and then suffered arrest and imprisonment at the hands of the authorities. Afterwards he likely had a heart attack and existed in a coma-like state. Last week, the North Korean government released him. Other Americans and nationals of other countries remain imprisoned there. On June 19, Warmbier died. It's a fool’s errand to visit North Korea. North Korea isn’t a friendly place. It's not an exotic location. It's not a suitable destination for an “adventure”!...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-06-20 17:37

Warmbier's death overshadows summit

Between alliance and self-reliance

Moon Chung-in, a foreign policy adviser to President Moon Jae-in, might now be feeling he is sitting on pins and needles. Conservative politicians and media outlets are making a joint attack on his policy ideas presented during a Wilson Center seminar in Washington, D.C., Friday. The scholar suggested a willingness to reduce the scale of the ROK-U.S. joint military exercises and the frequency of the dispatch of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula if North Korea stops its nuclear and missile programs. Opposition lawmakers accused Moon of undermining the bilateral alliance and earnin...

Choi Sung-jin | 2017-06-20 17:33

In defense of Moon Chung-in

Professor Moon Chung-in has been at this a long time. I met him in Washington at the beginning of the Kim Dae Jung administration almost 20 years ago. We know each other, but have rarely met. I’ve been expecting him to bring a muddled message to Washington, trying to please everyone, but I have been surprised. Moon is making several key points to his US counterparts and audiences. And he is providing a valuable service to his US hosts, helping them to see how South Korea’s new government views it’s and the US’s interests right now. Just as important, he is exposing views among US policy spec...

Stephen Costello | 2017-06-20 17:31

A bloody business: Koreans in Vietnam

It has been painted as the first misstep by newly minted President Moon Jae-in. On Memorial Day, he praised Korean Vietnam War veterans for their service, noting that their sacrifices had earned generous payments from ally the United States. Those U.S. dollars granted Korea much of the seed capital required for its “economic miracle.” owever, Koreans were not the only people monitoring Moon. The Vietnamese government took exception to his comments, which did not mention the sufferings of the Vietnamese people. A portion of those sufferings were brutalities inflicted on them by Korean troops ...

Andrew Salmon | 2017-06-19 17:26

Stopping Americans from visiting NK

Should Americans be banned from visiting North Korea? That evergreen chit-chat topic among reporters and commentators is now being taken seriously by the U.S. Congress, with the proposed North Korea Travel Control Act requiring licenses for U.S. citizens seeking to visit North Korea. The Act’s proposed ban on tourism is an overreaction to an American tourist being returned by North Korea in a comatose state.

Casey Lartigue, Jr. | 2017-06-19 17:16

Moon, Trump on N. Korea

President Moon’s meeting with President Trump in Washington at the end of this month will determine whether the United States and the Republic of Korea can work together more effectively to deal with North Korean nuclear and missile threats. As reported, their agenda will focus on the alliance, the North Korean issue, and bilateral trade issues. The two countries share a common interest in a strong alliance and a peaceful resolution of the North Korean threats. The alliance is for deterrence and defense against the North. However, Trump does not feel the trade relationship is fair to the U.S...

Tong Kim | 2017-06-18 17:36

Real hardliners on North Korea

The real hardliners in Korea and the US over the past 20 years have been progressives. The real enablers of North Korean nuclear and missile programs have been conservatives. This is not difficult to figure out. Yet somehow, most journalists and commentators remain in the dark about the meaning of their loaded and revealing word choices. Today they also describe progressive policies as “sympathetic” toward North Korea or appeasement toward China. Now that true hardliners are back in office, at least in South Korea, it’s time to remember why that is. Any definition of “hardline” policy, with ...

Stephen Costello | 2017-06-18 17:33

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