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Thu, November 15, 2018 | 08:43

Opinion > Blogs > Imbricated Chaos >

Assessing the Pyongyang summit

President Moon's visit to Pyongyang and his summit with Chairman Kim Jong-un altered the cultural and political landscape of the Korean Peninsula even further than the Panmunjom summit, and most likely ushered in a permanent shift in how Koreans conceive of themselves. So deep are the changes that they remain still invisible to Koreans caught up in the process.

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-10-14 10:08

What do Koreans mean by 'revolution'?

I saw an television commercial for a Korean bank recently in which the word “revolution” (hyeongmyeong, 혁명, 革命) was repeated several times. It was striking that a term once associated with the far left is used now so prevalently in contemporary South Korea. But what exactly does the term “revolution” mean today, especially in this period of rapid social, economic and technolo...

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-10-13 09:53

The paleontology of South Korean politics

The most remarkable moment in President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang was his speech before 15 thousand North Korean citizens gathered in the massive May Day Stadium. The enthusiasm that radiated from this massive crowd was startling in its intensity and President Moon himself was visibly affected. Every word Moon uttered was highlighted and animated by the cheers of the a...

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-10-06 09:19

A proposal for constitutional amendments to address American realities

The rapid shifts in American politics demand that we revise our aged constitution so that it better reflects the reality of contemporary institutions. If we fail to take such a brave step, we run the serious risk that our politics and practices will grow so completely out of tune with the constitution that it will lose what remains of its tattered legitimacy. Here is a modest...

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-09-22 09:14

'Eat food. Lose yourself'

I want to walk home rather than taking the bus these days. Every time I get on the crowded bus after work, I am forced to watch broadcasts on the television affixed just behind the driver's seat. Those broadcasts are not thoughtful discussions about Korean history, or even reports about important contemporary issues that citizens should know about. Rather we are subjected to ...

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-09-16 09:25

Four perspectives on Trump's engagement with North Korea

The loose cannon, shoot-from-the-hip approach to politics that has set Donald Trump's administration apart from any previous administration in American history has had a profound impact on American policy in East Asia. In many cases, Trump's open contempt for established diplomatic processes and conventions, not to mention international law, has increased distrust and created...

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-08-26 14:19

How I discovered inequity at the airport

I had several hours before the departure of my flight from Incheon International Airport. So I went out searching for a notebook and a pen so I could write down a few ideas for use in my book manuscript. But nowhere could I find anything of use for sale.

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-08-14 13:49

A call for true security in a misguided age

We hear the most contorted and grotesque fairytales about how a handful of billionaires and their sycophants are going to solve the security crisis in Northeast Asia. But the security crisis we keep being reminded of concerns North Korea's nuclear weapons - something treated as if unrelated to the blatant violation of the nonproliferation treaty by the United States in its fa...

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-08-04 09:09

Could the environment ministry lead Korea?

It was my first visit to Ministry of the Environment in Sejong City. The trip itself reminded me of just how far we have to go to create an ecological Korea. After all, Sejong City does not have a train station.

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-07-29 14:49

Could government service be continuation of candlelight movement?

Many of my students participated in the candlelight marches two years ago and I remember how articulately they spoke about the changes in Korean society that they envisioned. After graduation, however, many of those students grew discouraged because of the failure of the Korean establishment to reorder the economic and social priorities of the nation to offer their generation...

Imbricated Chaos | 2018-07-21 08:53

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Choking on worsening air pollution