Opinion - The Korea Times

ED When America rejects international law, global order is put at risk

U.S. President Donald Trump has now said the quiet part out loud. Declaring “I don't need for international law,” he has openly challenged not only specific treaties and institutions, but the very idea of a rules-based global order. After threatening to take Greenland from Denmark — a fellow NATO member — by force if necessary, and after asserting that alliances themselves are merely “a matter of choice,” the president has moved from selective disengagement to outright repudiation of the norms that have underpinned international stability for decades. The remarks, delivered in a recent interview with The New York Times, were as startling as they were revealing. Trump suggested that acquiring Greenland could justify abandoning NATO, and further claimed that he would not be constrained by international law, but only his own morality. It was an extraordinary assertion of personal authority over collective rules, implying that sovereignty, treaties and legal restraints are subordinate to the will of a single leader. That such language comes from the head of the world’s most

Jan 11, 2026

[ED] When America rejects international law, global order is put at risk

ED When resources become weapons

China’s decision to brandish resources as a geopolitical weapon against Japan has once again set off alarm bells across Northeast Asia. By announcing a sweeping ban on exports to Japan of so-called “dual-use” items — materials that can serve both civilian and military purposes — Beijing has made clear that economic interdependence will not restrain it when core political and security interests are at stake. Although rare earths were not explicitly named in the official announcement, Chinese state media has reported that export licensing for rare earths and other strategic minerals is being tightened. The message is unmistakable: China is prepared to choke off access to critical materials that underpin advanced industries. The move is widely seen as retaliation for remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting possible Japanese involvement in a Taiwan contingency. Rare earths, strategic minerals and key substances for semiconductors and batteries are indispensable to Japan’s industrial base, and China dominates the global supply, accounting for more than 70 p

Jan 8, 2026

ED China's hallyu ban is self-defeating

Governments are not supposed to dictate what citizens eat or which movies and concerts they watch. Any such interference, if institutionalized, would violate the fundamental rights people are born with. Yet this once-unthinkable intrusion has now surfaced, finding its way onto the agenda of an international summit. China’s ban on hallyu, or the Korean wave, was discussed during President Lee Jae Myung’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. According to the presidential office, however, little progress was made. Xi was negative about lifting the ban entirely, the office said. He reportedly used metaphors involving “ice and fruit” to signal Beijing’s unwillingness to remove the restrictions for the time being. Thick ice thaws slowly, he said, and ripe fruit falls on its own without external force. Presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung told reporters that Xi made the remark in response to Lee’s proposal to co-host events such as Go tournaments and football matches, as well as expand cultural exchanges through initiatives like China’s leasing of pandas. “We took President Xi

Jan 7, 2026

[ED] China's hallyu ban is self-defeating

ED Pro forma summit?

In his first state visit to China, President Lee Jae Myung conveyed to Chinese President Xi Jinping that the summit served as an important turning point for "the full restoration of Korea-China relations." He added, "I will make unwavering efforts to develop our strategic cooperative partnership into an irreversible trend of the times." Xi responded in kind, emphasizing that "China and Korea bear significant responsibilities in maintaining regional peace and promoting global development." The Chinese president, in hosting the first state visit by a South Korean president in six years, made this pointed statement as well: "We must firmly stand on the right side of history and make the correct strategic choices." Xi's remark spoke volumes when juxtaposed with the violently shifting geopolitical landscape. The Chinese president did not mention the United States or its recent military action against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but his call to stand on the right side of history may refer to that incident, which China has condemned as a violation of international law and a threat to

Jan 6, 2026

ED When Pyongyang is afraid, opportunity emerges

The Donald Trump administration’s operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro appears to have had a real impact on North Korea. Pyongyang said it would continue to “sophisticate” its weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) to make them more lethal and destructive, calling such actions a deterrence against enemies. The North’s state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Monday that the country successfully test-fired a hypersonic missile the previous day. According to the report, the missile struck a target in the East Sea about 1,000 kilometers northeast of Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally observed the test launch of the missile, designated as Hwasong-11E. Kim said that one way to ensure deterrence is to repeatedly remind enemies that North Korea’s strategic assets are ready for use anytime and anywhere, and that they are powerful and lethal enough to destroy their adversaries. “The ongoing geopolitical crisis and developments in international affairs clearly show why we need such a strong level of deterrence,” Kim was quoted as sayi

Jan 5, 2026

[ED] When Pyongyang is afraid, opportunity emerges

ED Crucial diplomatic test for Lee

President Lee Jae Myung has embarked on his first state visit to China since taking office, meeting President Xi Jinping barely two months after talks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Such a short interval between summits is unusual in bilateral diplomacy and reflects the new administration’s intent to stabilize and recalibrate relations with Beijing. Coming nine years after the last South Korean presidential state visit to China, this trip marks a pivotal moment, not only for Korea-China relations, but also for the credibility of Lee’s oft-stated commitment to pragmatic diplomacy grounded in principles. The timing is significant. Having addressed urgent trade issues with the United States, the Lee administration is now turning to its two immediate neighbors, China and Japan, to restore diplomatic balance. The China visit, potentially followed by a presidential visit to Japan, places Korea’s foreign policy squarely on the regional stage. Expectations are high, but so are the risks. Lee recently reaffirmed Korea’s longs

Jan 4, 2026

ED S. Korea is not America's pawn

Recent remarks by Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, deserve careful scrutiny. This is not because alliance cooperation is misguided, but because the language Brunson used risks recasting South Korea as a mere tool of U.S. regional strategy rather than a sovereign democracy with its own history, interests and public sentiments. Speaking at the ROK-U.S. Combined Policy Forum, Brunson argued that South Korea is “not merely an entity that responds to threats on the Korean Peninsula,” but a central actor at the “intersection of broader regional dynamics” in Northeast Asia. He emphasized Korea’s geography, capabilities and readiness as forming the “central axis” of regional stability. Taken at face value, this sounds like strategic realism. In context, however, it implies an expectation that South Korea should shoulder an expanded military role well beyond deterrence of North Korea, potentially including conflicts involving China. This framing is problematic for several reasons. First, it risks blurring the line between

Jan 1, 2026

ED Global Korea's next leap

Last year was a defining chapter in Korea's history. An abrupt and deeply troubling imposition of martial law in late 2024 tested the foundations of the nation’s constitutional order. Yet the episode did not end in retreat, instead revealing Korea’s democratic resilience. An alert citizenry, functioning institutions and adherence to the rule of law worked in concert to contain the threat and restore constitutional normalcy. Korea demonstrated, to itself and to the world, that democracy here is not a slogan but a living system capable of withstanding shock and emerging stronger. The inauguration of the Lee Jae Myung administration marked the institutional consolidation of that hard-won resilience. The new government took office amid high expectations and pressing demands to stabilize the people's livelihoods, repair social trust and reposition the nation for sustainable growth. Fairness, social inclusion and structural reform are no longer aspirational ideals. They are prerequisites for national renewal in an era marked by economic uncertainty and social division. External economic

Dec 31, 2025

ED Facial recognition: Burning the house to kill bedbugs

“Burning down the house to get rid of bedbugs.” This Korean saying — similar to the English-language idiom, “Cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face” — warns of the danger of suffering a great loss because of foolish actions taken without recognizing their inherent risks. The Korean government appears to have illustrated this very folly by launching a test run of a new facial recognition technology policy for smartphone users. Starting Dec. 23, telecommunications companies have been required to photograph customers and compare those images with the photos on their identification cards before activating new smartphones. The Ministry of Science and ICT said the facial recognition system will be officially introduced on March 23 next year, following a three-month test period. According to the ministry, the policy is part of law enforcement efforts to combat crime. Burner phones or prepaid disposable phones are commonly used by criminals because they are difficult to trace, and facial recognition is expected to help curb their misuse. However, the decision has sparked cont

Dec 29, 2025

[ED] Facial recognition: Burning the house to kill bedbugs

ED Severe punishment is inevitable for abuse of presidential power

The prosecution’s request for a 10-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol marks a defining moment for the country’s constitutional order. This is not merely the first sentencing demand to emerge from the multiple trials linked to the Dec. 3 martial law crisis; it is a test of whether the rule of law can hold even the most powerful to account. The gravity of the charges and the defendant’s conduct in the aftermath leave little room for leniency. A heavy sentence, potentially including the maximum punishment allowed by law, is not only justified but unavoidable. At the sentencing hearing, the special prosecutors described Yoon’s actions as a fundamental betrayal of constitutional duty. As president, Yoon was entrusted with safeguarding the Constitution and the legal order. Prosecutors argued that he abused state power to obstruct a lawful arrest, mobilized security forces as if they were a private militia and sought to conceal and rationalize his actions rather than confront their illegality. Even at the final hearing, Yoon offered neither an apology nor reflect

Dec 28, 2025

Editorial