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Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest 2 constraints in front of South Korea and 3 new measures for a 'peace regime' on Korean Peninsula

By Cho Yong-suFor the past 30 years, the denuclearization of North Korea has been one of the most critical issues in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. Along with the denuclearization of North Korea, the issue of the Korean Peninsula is now decisively affected by the flow of U.S.-China relations since China has appeared as an emerging power over the decades. In that sense, in my view, the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula is currently hindered by “two structural constraints.”The first structural constraint is macroscopic and indirect. This can be referred as a military rivalry between the U.S. and China, which intensifies again as the U.S. has accelerated to engage in Asia since they canceled the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) in August of last year. Since the 19th Party Congress, China has also implemented the modernization of military power in order to realize Kang Gun Mong (强軍夢), including the modernization of nuclear weapons as a high proportion. China is showing a willingness to defend its hegemony and global infl

Nov 26, 2020By Kim Rahn

[Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest] 2 constraints in front of South Korea and 3 new measures for a 'peace regime' on Korean Peninsula

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Analysis of current stalemate in negotiations

By Park Ji-hunAgainst the backdrop of continued sanctions and international opprobrium, North Korea has cut all ties with Seoul, once again. After three decades of handshakes and grandiose rhetoric, not a single framework for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has withstood the test of time. However, an old mechanism enshrined in the Korean Armistice Agreement, the only sustaining agreement between the two Koreas, may be able to break the deadlock in negotiations.Over the years, scholars have identified a quandary of reasons, from Washington's unwavering “all-or- nothing” strategy on international sanctions to Pyongyang's demands for the closing of the regional nuclear umbrella, as key reasons behind the failure of denuclearization talks. Nevertheless, one problem has persisted ― a lack of trust. Power relations make trust formation complex and fragile, and any negotiation requires parties to have confident expectations and “make oneself vulnerable” ― somebody has to give in first. Years of broken promises by Pyongyang and the Donald Trump administra

Nov 26, 2020By Kim Rahn

[Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest] Analysis of current stalemate in negotiations

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Dangers of nuclear nationalism in North Korea

By Kim Sang-hoonNorth Korea achieved comprehensive nuclear weapons capabilities by conducting its sixth nuclear test in 2017 and test firing numerous long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), including the Hwasong-15 that can reach the U.S. mainland. The country reportedly tested a hydrogen bomb, successfully miniaturized the nuclear warhead, and is at present perfecting the ultimate deterrent ―the submarine-launched ballistic missile that can survive and can be used to retaliate against an adversary's nuclear first strike. The U.S. intelligence community in 2017 openly admitted that North Korea had crossed a “key threshold on the path to becoming a full-fledged nuclear power,” and little doubt remains about North Korea's ability to launch a nuclear war. For over 30 years, the international community has focused on denuclearizing North Korea through sanctions and engagement strategies; however, both efforts have only led to either raising the risk of an inadvertent nuclear war or accelerating North Korea's nuclear development. In addition, a closer look into

Nov 26, 2020By Kim Rahn

[Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest] Dangers of nuclear nationalism in North Korea

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Youth, disarmament and non-proliferation

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Exploring 'sweet spot' of nuclear latency of North Korea for effective denuclearization process

By Kim Chul-minShould the ultimate goal of North Korea's denuclearization be to abandon all of its nuclear capabilities? I would like to argue the opposite. In order for North Korea to achieve a nuclear deal in the form of abolishing its nuclear weapons, other countries should allow it to possess sufficient enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) capabilities and provide a nuclear power plant to solve the energy supply problems it faces.Contrary to popular belief, countries that voluntarily abandoned nuclear weapons, such as Ukraine and South Africa, also had high levels of nuclear latency for a certain period of time after their declaration of denuclearization. A similar type of great bargain was also made between the nuclear weapons states (NWS) and non-nuclear weapons states (NNWS) in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). North Korea can only give up its nuclear weapons with this tacit consent.Since ENR technology development is not prohibited in the NPT, some NNWS could have developed an extensive level of latency. Some of them leveraged it to practice coercive diplomacy and enjo

Nov 26, 2020By Kim Rahn

[Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest] Exploring 'sweet spot' of nuclear latency of North Korea for effective denuclearization process

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest North Korea and issue of denuclearization: lessons learned from peaceful negotiations

By Cho Fiona Hye-minOn July 10, Kim Yo-jong, North Korea's deputy director of the United Front Department and younger sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, declared that North Korea will not denuclearize for the time being. She then qualified this statement by adding that denuclearization was a possibility in the future, just not possible “at this point in time.” Kim's vague message echoes the stance that North Korea has presented for the past few decades, a wildly fluctuating series of concessions and retractions that has culminated in uncertainty over what to do about the nation's nuclear arsenal. In other words, the international community remains locked in a stalemate with North Korea over a conclusive deal regarding denuclearization.To truly understand this current stalemate, it is imperative to examine the past history of negotiations. While it is true that North Korea first began to experiment with nuclear weapons in the 1950s, it was in the 1980s that its dealings first became an international issue. On Dec. 12, 1985, North Korea agreed to the terms of the Treaty

Nov 26, 2020By Kim Rahn

[Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest] North Korea and issue of denuclearization: lessons learned from peaceful negotiations

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Youth, disarmament and non-proliferation

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Strengthening South Korea's non-proliferation norm

By Alexander M. HyndAt one level, efforts to contain, diminish and eventually eliminate possession of nuclear weapons must necessarily be global. Yet, for as long as nation states remain the dominant actors in world affairs, anti-nuclear advocates need to pay particular attention to those countries most at risk of horizontal proliferation. Within the Asia-Pacific, South Korea is viewed as having a particularly weak non-proliferation norm, and as one of the most likely states to “go nuclear.” As such, those concerned with preventing a wider regional nuclear arms race should consider how best to promote the non-proliferation cause within South Korea's domestic political setting.A number of arguments have been presented in favor of South Korea acquiring either its own nuclear arsenal, or reintroducing American tactical nuclear weapons. These justifications are all based on the spurious logic that such a policy would assist in better deterring or denuclearizing North Korea, by changing strategic calculations on the peninsula. However, a 2019 poll showed that 60 percent of Sou

Nov 26, 2020By Kim Rahn

[Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest] Strengthening South Korea's non-proliferation norm

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Youth, disarmament and non-proliferation

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Youth, disarmament and non-proliferation

By Ham Sang-wookIn the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “If we are to reach real peace in this world, we shall have to begin with children.” Indeed, as we are entrusted with the pressing task of shaping a more peaceful and prosperous future for the generations to come, youth engagement and empowerment must undoubtedly be at the heart of our mission.In this regard, I congratulate The Korea Times and the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (APLN) for successfully co-hosting their first essay contest on the theme: “Youth, Disarmament, and Peace in the Asia Pacific Region.” As the level of participation shows, the contest kindled genuine interest among young people around the globe in the disarmament agenda and, more importantly, offered us a valuable opportunity to hear their voices.While the importance of educating and engaging young people in current affairs has been generally recognized in the United Nations (U.N.), it was only recently that disarmament education has come to the fore. A major development in this regard was whe

Nov 26, 2020By Kim Rahn

[Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest] Youth, disarmament and non-proliferation

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Republic of Korea and Japan - Prospect for signing the TPNW

The Korea Times and the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network confirm that the co-hosts have selected the essays, and as such, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs neither approves nor disapproves any of the views presented. ― ED.By Yoo Dong-sukThe Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is the first legally binding multilateral agreement with a goal of “nuclear zero”: a world free of nuclear weapons. After Honduras ratified the treaty on Oct. 24, 2020, it finally reached the required 50 state parties for its entry into force, and will enter into force on Jan. 22, 2021. The Republic of Korea and Japan have been avid proponents of the nonproliferation and disarmament regime, however, neither country has signed the TPNW. The implementation of TPNW will be one of the main points of contention in the upcoming tenth nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference. This essay will explore the rationale behind South Korea and Japan's opposition to the TPNW and will delineate the conditions under which each country will sign the treaty.South Korea and Japan have many commona

Nov 26, 2020By Kim Rahn

[Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest] Republic of Korea and Japan - Prospect for signing the TPNW

Essay awardees suggest fresh ideas for Korea's globalization

Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin, right, and Woori Bank CEO Kwon Kwang-seok, left, applaud after giving awards to the winners of the newspaper's 16th English Economic Essay Contest at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, Tuesday. From left are Kwon, Gabriela Bernal, Sven-Hendrik Arp, Jung Ho-joon, Maria Natasha Lintang, Park Han-dol's father who attended the event on behalf of his son, Leah Nangila Nabangi and Oh. Commendation award winner Joshua Chang was unable to attend the ceremony. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Park Jae-hyukIn their award-winning English economic essays, university students suggested ways for Korea to overcome its demographic challenge that inhibits sustainable growth, and to tear down the language barrier that makes it difficult for foreign businesses operating here.The Korea Times invited the seven winners of the newspaper's 16th English Economic Essay Contest to an award ceremony at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, Tuesday.Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin and Woori Bank CEO Kwon Kwang-seok also attended the event. The bank has sponsored the contest si

Nov 24, 2020By Park Jae-hyuk

Essay awardees suggest fresh ideas for Korea's globalization

Bilingual Korea can be worth it, warts and all

Joshua ChangBy Joshua ChangImagine wandering the streets of Seoul knowing only English. If you're having trouble, maybe think of it like a desperate toddler looking for mom at the mall.Now you are getting closer to entering the foreigner's nightmare where simple tasks like getting a haircut or exchanging money morph into mortifying language exams driven by anxiety and headed for embarrassment, rendering one to frantic cave-man gesticulations. College can help you become more sophisticated and job-ready, but it doesn't prepare you for the toe-curling cringe of looking like an adult but talking like a preschooler.So when we come to the debate over whether Korea should adopt English as a second official language, it's difficult to see why foreigners in Korea would ever object to its institution. Essentially, adding English would give newcomers much better odds for a more user-friendly Korean experience. This is obviously true for English-speaking foreigners.But non-English speaking newcomers might also find Korean life less daunting with English as another language of the land. How so?F

Nov 23, 2020

Bilingual Korea can be worth it, warts and all

Add a little color to white-clad folk's apparel

People & Events

People & Events

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest 2 constraints in front of South Korea and 3 new measures for a 'peace regime' on Korean Peninsula

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Analysis of current stalemate in negotiations

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Dangers of nuclear nationalism in North Korea

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Exploring 'sweet spot' of nuclear latency of North Korea for effective denuclearization process

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest North Korea and issue of denuclearization: lessons learned from peaceful negotiations

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Strengthening South Korea's non-proliferation norm

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Youth, disarmament and non-proliferation

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest Republic of Korea and Japan - Prospect for signing the TPNW

Essay awardees suggest fresh ideas for Korea's globalization

Bilingual Korea can be worth it, warts and all

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