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Wed, May 23, 2018 | 12:26

Opinion > Columnists > Tong Kim >

Praying for a miracle

Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church will bring a message of hope, peace and reconciliation to the divided Korean Peninsula, when he visits the South from Aug. 14-18. It will be a third papal visit to South Korea. The Pope is widely known as an advocate of support for the poor, peace and nature.

Tong Kim | 2014-08-03 16:15

Roh's 'balanced diplomacy'

Last week I was asked to write a review of a new book published in Korean. After reading it, I felt obliged to share with my English readers some of the fascinating highlights of “Peace Hanging on the Blade of a Sword” authored by Dr. Lee Jong-seok, a former unification minister during the Roh Moo-hyun presidency.

Tong Kim | 2014-07-20 16:52

All because of Abe

Chinese President Xi Jinping's talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul last week signaled the start of a repositioning of allies and adversaries to meet the new challenges and opportunities of the shifting security and economic environment in Northeast Asia. While the intensity of Xi's aggressive overture to pull the South over directly against Japan and indirectly against the United States was somewhat extraordinary, it will not weaken or affect the strength or nature of Seoul's alliance with Washington, as long as the nuclear-armed North Korea remains a threat to the South.

Tong Kim | 2014-07-06 16:31

Xi Jinping comes to Seoul

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Seoul next week will provide a critical strategic diplomatic opportunity for President Park to discuss with her friendly Chinese leader, among several other important areas, the impending issues of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the region.

Tong Kim | 2014-06-22 16:35

Domestic politics and national security

The outcome of South Korea's local elections last week and the appointment of Kim Kwan-jin as new national security chief at the Blue House on June 1 appear to indicate the direction of the Park administration's domestic and North Korea policy to follow at least for some time in the future. The ballot produced a tie instead of a clear winner in the June 4 contest between the ruling Saenuri Party and the major opposition party. President Park has survived a critical leadership test through the elections, which were conducted amid criticism of the government's failure in initial response to th...

Tong Kim | 2014-06-08 16:05

Rumors about N. Korea

Due to the rigid control of information makes it hard to know what is really going on with the leadership. Watching Pyongyang is like playing a guessing game that feeds on inconclusive speculation and wishful thinking.

Tong Kim | 2014-05-26 11:11

N. Korean propaganda backfires

A recent vituperative insult on President Obama reported by the North Korean Central News Agency reveals how little North Korean leaders know or care about the serious consequences to their own interest such distasteful and deplorable propaganda of name-calling can cause. Propaganda has long been used as an effective tool of rule by authoritarian and totalitarian regimes in world history. At times of war, even democratic nations use propaganda in psychological warfare to discredit the leadership of foreign target audiences.

Tong Kim | 2014-05-11 16:03

Obama: style and substance

President Barrack Obama’s visit to South Korea should not have been an easy, comfortable one as its timing coincided with a time of sorrow following the tragedy of the Sewol ferry that sank off the southwestern coast. Yet, Obama pulled off a very successful visit, touching many hearts in Korea, not by his policies but by his good-natured compassion.

Tong Kim | 2014-04-27 17:07

Arms race and peace

As diplomatic efforts to improve inter-Korean relations or resolve security issues for a permanent peace settlement on the peninsula are failing, both sides have resorted to bolstering their military might for security in an arms race at the cost of scarce resources. North Korea has proven its nuclear, missile and other destructive capabilities to attack and inflict unbearable damage to South Korea. It is believed to still be working on technology to fit a nuclear warhead atop a missile. North Korea can employ a less sophisticated nuclear delivery means to attack the South.

Tong Kim | 2014-04-13 16:29

Meaning of Dresden Declaration

In Dresden last week, President Park Geun-hye offered North Korea a multitude of comprehensive and specific proposals to prepare for Korean unification in three major areas of humanitarianism, co-prosperity, and integration between the people of the two Koreas.

Tong Kim | 2014-03-30 16:04

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