Opinion - The Korea Times

ED Look to the future

The recent summit between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, held on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, marks a cautiously hopeful turn in the long and often turbulent history of Korea-Japan relations. Their meeting — just two weeks after Lee’s inauguration — represents more than just a diplomatic courtesy. It signals a renewed willingness by both sides to seek common ground and move beyond decades of mistrust. Yet while this step forward is welcome, it must be accompanied by a frank reckoning with the past and a commitment to practical, results-driven cooperation in the present. Lee’s remarks were carefully calibrated. Referring to Korea and Japan as “neighbors who share the same front yard,” he emphasized the importance of looking past minor differences and building a cooperative relationship that benefits both nations. Ishiba responded in kind, highlighting the depth of people-to-people ties and expressing hope that bilateral cooperation would contribute not only to regional security but also to global stability.

Jun 19, 2025

ED Dangerous alliance

Once a partner, always a partner. North Korea and Russia have reaffirmed that their military partnership, forged during the war in Ukraine, will continue even after the conflict ends, raising fresh concerns about its implications for global security. On Tuesday, Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, visited Pyongyang under “special instruction” from President Vladimir Putin. During his visit, Shoigu held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Following the meeting, Shoigu announced a new military dispatch from North Korea to Russia — this time aimed at assisting in the reconstruction of war-damaged regions along the Russian border. The announcement underscores that Pyongyang-Moscow relations will continue to deepen and expand, regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine. In an interview with Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti, Shoigu revealed that North Korea plans to send 1,000 mine removers and 5,000 military engineers to help rebuild the Russian city of Kursk. He described the aid as a form of “fraternal assistance” from North Korea. Shoigu a

Jun 18, 2025

ED Intensifying geopolitical conflict

Nearly a week after Israel's preemptive attack on Iran Friday, there is growing concern that the open exchange of missiles between the two will turn into another Middle East morass. U.S. President Donald Trump, who had stood to the side, departed early from the G7 Summit in Canada to hold a meeting with his national security team. At that time, he posted on his Truth Social platform: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" Later Trump was quoted as saying at the he wanted a "real deal" to end the nuclear issue with Iran, in comments posted by a CBS News reporter on X, formerly Twitter. The Korean presidential office, prior to the G7, issued a statement saying, "We are opposed to military confrontation or escalation of tensions, and have urged restraint by all involved parties." World leaders have been calling for de-escalation, which the two sides should heed. The leaders of the world's richest democracies at the G7 issued a statement officially calling for de-escalation in the area while also saying that Israel has the right to defend itself. Both states claim to have their rea

Jun 17, 2025

ED Two schools of thought

Senior presidential secretary Oh Kwang-soo resigned on Friday following allegations that he held assets under a false name. His resignation came just six days after President Lee Jae-myung appointed him as the head of the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, a role responsible for conducting background checks on presidential nominees, among other duties. Oh's departure adds to growing concerns over a string of high-profile nominees and top-level political appointees facing a range of allegations involving ethical lapses and questionable financial transactions. For example, Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok is accused of abusing his position to embellish his son’s extracurricular credentials during high school in order to aid his admission into a U.S. university. Kim also faces multiple other allegations, including suspicious financial transactions and doubts over his educational background. He claims to have earned a master’s degree from Tsinghua University in China in the same year he ran — unsuccessfully — for mayor of Busan. Critics argue that it

Jun 16, 2025

ED Lee's diplomatic debut

President Lee Jae-myung will depart Seoul on Monday for the Group of Seven (G7) summit, which will be held over three days starting Sunday (local time) in Kananaskis in the Canadian province of Alberta. As a newly elected leader, Lee will make his debut on the international diplomatic stage, a moment likely filled with both anticipation and pressure. This is an opportunity for him to make a strong and lasting first impression on the world’s major leaders. If Lee approaches this summit with seriousness and strategic intent, it will be a positive sign. He will be attending not as a private citizen but as the head of state representing South Korea, and the nation’s foreign policy interests will hinge, in part, on his personal diplomacy. Lee is expected to make the most of this annual forum of seven highly industrialized nations — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — to signal that Korea is returning to political stability after months of turmoil created by his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial and short-lived martial law. Korea

Jun 15, 2025

ED Trump Jr.’s reckless rhetoric

As tensions escalate in Los Angeles over the U.S. federal government's aggressive immigration enforcement action, the city is once again teetering on the brink of widespread unrest. Protesters have taken to the streets in response to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting undocumented immigrants, particularly in sanctuary cities like LA. Highways have been blocked, cars torched, a curfew declared and hundreds of protesters arrested. President Donald Trump’s unilateral deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops — without a formal request from California’s governor — has only intensified the standoff, fueling fears of further militarization and civil conflict. Although LA’s Koreatown is a few kilometers from the epicenter of the protests, the neighborhood remains in a state of heightened anxiety. The parallels to the 1992 LA riots when Korean-owned businesses were disproportionately targeted in a wave of violence are becoming uncomfortably vivid for many. Amid this already volatile climate, Donald Trump Jr.’s recent social media post was not only deep

Jun 12, 2025

ED Lee's legal challenges on hold

A Seoul court reduced some of the legal risk for President Lee Jae-myung by indefinitely postponing his trial on charges of violating election law in 2022. The Seoul High Court cited Article 84 of the Constitution, which says "a sitting president is not subject to criminal prosecution while in office" for most crimes except insurrection and treason. The court's decision can be construed as clarifying the application of Article 84 to cover ongoing indictments or criminal cases of an elected president. To date, there is no legal precedent and some legal scholars believe this exemption for the sitting president should refer only to new indictments or trials. Reactions to the court's decision were split down party lines. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said the decision was "expected and natural" while the main opposition People Power Party's interim leader cast it as "the court having admitted that it remains attuned to the powers that be." The court's ruling, more importantly, shows the difficulty of balancing the will of the public as reflected in election results and the tas

Jun 10, 2025

ED China’s West Sea gambit

China has once again demonstrated its strategic ambitions in East Asia by deploying its newest aircraft carrier, Fujian, into the West Sea off Korea for carrier-based fighter jet operations. While Beijing claims this was a routine exercise, its timing, location and symbolism suggest otherwise. The use of a state-of-the-art aircraft carrier in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) — a legally recognized stretch of international waters not subject to unilateral control — marks a significant escalation in China's effort to turn contested maritime spaces into zones of de facto sovereignty. South Korea’s new administration must respond decisively to this provocation, not only to safeguard national interests but also to preserve the balance of power in Northeast Asia. The West Sea is geopolitically vital. Although the PMZ is not officially designated as either South Korea’s or China’s exclusive economic zone, its management has long depended on mutual restraint and coordination. China’s recent activities — including the deployment of large buoys, the construction of suspicious f

Jun 9, 2025

ED President Lee at G7 Summit

President Lee Jae-myung’s upcoming appearance at the G7 Summit in Alberta, Canada, from June 15 to 17 marks a defining moment — not only as his debut on the world stage, but as a potential pivot point in Korea’s foreign policy and its alliance with the United States. For Korea, this is more than a symbolic return to the global arena after a period of diplomatic drift. It is a crucial opportunity to reaffirm its voice in international affairs through a foreign policy that is practical, principled and proactive. This year’s summit carries added significance due to the expected bilateral meeting between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump — the first in-person engagement between the two leaders since Lee’s inauguration. Their first phone call last Friday was cordial but telling. Lee called for a “mutually beneficial and fair” resolution to trade tensions, indicating his administration’s commitment to diplomacy grounded in national interest and reciprocity. Still, the delay and context of the call reflected lingering concerns about Trump’s enduring transactional approa

Jun 8, 2025

ED Lee Jae-myung’s 1st diplomatic test

President Lee Jae-myung’s inaugural declaration of a pragmatic foreign policy comes at a time when the global order is in flux. He has pledged to pursue national interest–centered diplomacy rooted in a solid Korea-U.S. alliance, enhanced trilateral cooperation with Japan and a practical, interest-based approach toward China and other neighboring powers. While the emphasis on strategic autonomy and realism appears measured, the success of such diplomacy hinges on clarity, consistency and credibility. Without a coherent strategy and messaging, “pragmatism” risks being perceived as ambiguity — or worse, indecision. Washington’s response to Lee’s election makes this concern tangible. Although it reaffirmed the bilateral alliance and praised Korea’s democratic transition, the White House also took the unusual step of openly warning against Chinese influence — without issuing a formal congratulatory message. For the first time, the U.S. has explicitly injected a third-party geopolitical concern into its initial comments on a Korean presidential transition. This should not

Jun 5, 2025

Editorial