The Korea Times

'Easter Miracle': When reality outshines spy action films

The U.S. military’s rescue operation of a downed airman in Iran’s rugged terrain was nothing short of dramatic, something akin to a high-end spy action thriller. U.S. President Donald Trump called the successful mission an “Easter Miracle,” as it coincided with Easter Sunday. Hundreds of U.S. special forces personnel, including Navy SEAL Team 6, who carried out this death-defying operation, are heroes. The CIA played a crucial role in locating the airman, and its contribution cannot be overstated. I was utterly astonished while reading related news articles, as I could vividly imagine the life-threatening mission. Is it possible for a true story to be more dramatic than a spy action film? The “Easter Miracle” provides a clear answer: yes — sometimes reality can be more thrilling than fiction. The rescue operation made headlines just a day after I watched the 2026 Korean film “Humint” on Netflix. Humint, standing for “human intelligence,” refers to intelligence gathered through direct human contact. The film follows a South Korean spy operating in the Russian Far Ea

Apr 7, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

'Easter Miracle': When reality outshines spy action films

Opinion

Iran war warning: Will Russia’s eyes guide North Korean drones?

The ongoing war in Iran has critical implications for countries like Korea that face adversaries across their borders. It has demonstrated how the sudden intervention of a third country — in this case, Russia — acting in sync with an adversary can affect the course of a conflict and eventually force a country to change its playbook. According to U.S. officials, Russia shared high-quality satellite imagery and targeting data with Iran and helped the country identify blind spots in U.S. air defenses, enabling it to launch targeted strikes with drones and missiles. Iran is not comparable to the United States in overall military strength. From the onset of the war on Feb. 28, the U.S. was able to locate and destroy major Iranian infrastructure facilities and eliminate key political and military figures, including the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, using its strategic assets. But even the most expensive weapons have vulnerabilities. Iran fought back by exploiting weaknesses in U.S. defense systems and making the most of its asymmetric capabilities in drones. Iran’s c

Mar 12, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

North Korea

Latvia's blacklisting of Andrei Lankov: Russia phobia or tightened security?

News that broke last week involving renowned North Korea expert Andrei Lankov has rattled the foreign community in South Korea. The Russian-born scholar was unexpectedly blacklisted by Latvian authorities during a recent trip to the Baltic state. Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and director of Korea Risk Group, the parent company of NK News, was detained by local police and immigration officers shortly before he was to give a lecture, titled "North Korea: What the Leaders Want and Fear," in Riga, the Latvian capital. Latvian immigration authorities later deported him to Estonia. Several Russian media outlets first reported the incident. Korean and English-language news sites subsequently covered the story, citing those reports. The news came as a surprise to many. Born in Russia, Lankov is a dual citizen of Russia and Australia and is widely regarded as one of the leading North Korea experts, with rare first-hand experience in both Koreas. Before settling in South Korea in 2004 to teach at Kookmin University, he studied at North Korea’s elite Kim Il Sung University

Mar 2, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

Latvia's blacklisting of Andrei Lankov: Russia phobia or tightened security?

Opinion

'Shut-up act': Korea moves to criminalize challenges to NEC, absentee voting

Another piece of legislation widely viewed as an attempt to silence critics is nearing approval at the National Assembly, just weeks after controversy erupted over the so-called Network Act, which calls for punitive damages against media outlets accused of spreading fake news. This time, the target is individuals who raise suspicions about absentee voting or the vote count announced by the National Election Commission. If the proposed amendment to the Referendum Act passes the National Assembly, violators could face up to 10 years in prison. Critics have derided the measure as a “Shut-up Act,” arguing that it is inherently repressive. The amendment, sponsored by two lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Reps. Kim Young-bae and Kwon Chil-seung, along with seven co-sponsors, cleared the National Assembly’s Interior and Safety Committee on Feb. 23. It was then sent to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee for final review before being put to a plenary vote. The judiciary committee approved it the same day. The revised bill will be put to a vote when the plenary session

Feb 26, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

'Shut-up act': Korea moves to criminalize challenges to NEC, absentee voting

North Korea

Russian Embassy banner mirrors Kremlin playbook for intimidation

The Embassy of Russia in Seoul has drawn the ire of many South Koreans over a controversial banner displayed on its building. The 15-meter banner, written in Russian and translated into English as “Victory will be ours,” was installed despite mounting calls from South Korean citizens and several European diplomatic missions in Seoul to remove it. The embassy has refused to back down, stating that the banner was put up to commemorate “Defender of the Fatherland Day.” It argued that other diplomatic missions also display banners and promotional materials on their premises and maintained that the banner helps strengthen bonds among Russians. The embassy said it would take the banner down once the celebrations are over. There was initially an event to celebrate Defender of the Fatherland Day scheduled for Tuesday, but the embassy cancelled it. Chris Monday, an economics professor at Dongseo University in Busan, said the embassy banner reflects Russian President Vladimir Putin’s broader political strategy. “Intimidation and veiled threats are integral to Putin’s playbook,” h

Feb 24, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

Russian Embassy banner mirrors Kremlin playbook for intimidation

Trends

Celebrated abroad, contested at home: Choi Min-sik’s complex legacy revisited

The late photographer Choi Min-shik’s polarized legacy is revisited in his posthumous photobook “Human," the 15th installment in his namesake series. The recently published volume features some 300 carefully selected black-and-white photographs taken over the course of his five-decade career. The collection reflects the gifted artist’s complex fate as a documentary photographer. Abroad, Choi earned a strong reputation, exhibiting his work in numerous countries — a rare achievement for a Korean photographer in the 1970s. British photographers even nicknamed him “Rembrandt” for his masterful use of light and shadow. His soulful portraits of people living in poverty evoke the dramatic chiaroscuro of Rembrandt, particularly in their striking contrasts between darkness and illumination. Choi’s realistic yet philosophical approach quietly narrates the realities of Korean society at the time his photographs were taken. In one image featured in the new book, a mother and her young son share a bowl of noodles while she cradles him against her chest. The composition captures both in

Feb 13, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

Celebrated abroad, contested at home: Choi Min-sik’s complex legacy revisited

Others

Coupang subpoena risks broader Korea-US trade clash

The U.S. Congress has sent a clear signal that it will not sit back if U.S. commercial interests are put at risk by what it sees as foreign governments’ excessive regulatory measures against American companies, such as Coupang. If necessary, Congress has shown that it is prepared to use all available means to push the Donald Trump administration to take tougher trade actions against those governments. This message was underscored by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s decision on Thursday to issue a subpoena to Coupang, requiring Coupang Korea CEO Harold Rogers to testify at an upcoming hearing and submit documents and communications between the U.S. company and the Korean government following the recent data breach. A congressional subpoena targeting one of Washington’s closest allies is rare — if not unprecedented — highlighting how seriously lawmakers are treating the issue. Despite this, the warning appears not to have been fully heeded in Seoul. Korean officials have been wasting time expressing divergent views over the motives behind repeated warnings from U.S. politicia

Feb 8, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

Coupang subpoena risks broader Korea-US trade clash

Opinion

Digital power broker: How YouTuber weaponizes influence to shape the DPK power game

Although President Lee Jae Myung has been in office for less than a year, power struggles ahead of the next presidential election have already begun. If not properly managed, these struggles could spiral out of control, ultimately undermining not only Lee’s leadership but also the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Tensions are brewing within the ruling camp. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has been at odds with Kim Ou-joon, a popular progressive YouTuber who wields considerable influence on the left. Within the ruling camp, Kim Ou-joon has emerged as a power broker, allegedly seeking to use his influence to shape the internal power game in favor of his preferred politician — DPK Chairman Jung Chung-rae. The two Kims clashed over a public opinion survey related to the Seoul mayoral election, scheduled for June 3. On Dec. 1, 2025, Prime Minister Kim requested polling agencies remove his name from the list of potential candidates, stating that he had no intention of running in the election. His request, however, was ignored. In a recent poll conducted by Flower Research — a polling

Jan 30, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

Digital power broker: How YouTuber weaponizes influence to shape the DPK power game

Defense

Reforming the shadows: Military intelligence shake-up raises alarms

The days of the Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) are numbered. The military intelligence agency, which has overseen counterintelligence for nearly five decades, is set to disappear from history by the end of this year. Once dissolved, its core functions will be split and transferred to two newly created bodies — tentatively named the National Security Service and the Central Security Audit Office — in an effort to prevent the concentration of power. Another military intelligence unit, the Defense Intelligence Command (DIC), whose main responsibilities include covert operations and infiltration into North Korea, is also facing a bleak future. The DIC is meant for sweeping reforms to ensure it can no longer be used as an instrument of abuse by the commander-in-chief. The plan to overhaul the military’s intelligence apparatus reflects President Lee Jae Myung’s determination to prevent a repeat of Korea’s troubled past. The DCC and DIC now face uncharted waters after both were mobilized to support now-ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. So

Jan 25, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

Reforming the shadows: Military intelligence shake-up raises alarms

Others

The curse of sanctioned oil: Why turmoil in Iran and Venezuela hurts China

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the deadly nationwide protests in Iran are separate events unfolding on different continents. However, political unrest simultaneously battering the two oil-rich nations could converge to become a defining moment with far-reaching consequences for global geopolitics and trade. Following Maduro’s extradition to New York to face criminal charges, including narco-terrorism, U.S. President Donald Trump made clear that Washington intends to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry. On Friday, he said the United States would invest at least $100 billion to rebuild the country’s battered energy sector. “The U.S. said narco-terrorism was the primary reason behind its operation to arrest Maduro. But it is fair to say that the real motive stems from Washington’s plan to control Venezuela’s oil industry,” said Choo Jae-woo, a professor at Kyung Hee University. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 303 billion barrels, followed by Saudi Arabia with 267 billion and Iran with 209 billion. In the wa

Jan 16, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung

Kang Hyun-kyung

Read more

'Easter Miracle': When reality outshines spy action films

Iran war warning: Will Russia’s eyes guide North Korean drones?

Latvia's blacklisting of Andrei Lankov: Russia phobia or tightened security?

'Shut-up act': Korea moves to criminalize challenges to NEC, absentee voting

Russian Embassy banner mirrors Kremlin playbook for intimidation

Celebrated abroad, contested at home: Choi Min-sik’s complex legacy revisited

Coupang subpoena risks broader Korea-US trade clash

Digital power broker: How YouTuber weaponizes influence to shape the DPK power game

Reforming the shadows: Military intelligence shake-up raises alarms

The curse of sanctioned oil: Why turmoil in Iran and Venezuela hurts China

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