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N. Korea hunkering down

It was a good thing that Iran and the United States backed down from the verge of war, after a U.S. drone strike killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, a known mastermind of terror who killed many Americans. It was a tragedy that Iran mistakenly shot down a Ukraine airliner, killing all 176 aboard, most of whom were Iranians.

2020-01-13 17:32

N. Korea's new strategy

This column was written before North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's New Year's announcement that will impact the prospect of nuclear diplomacy and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula for 2020. Christmas passed without any onerous gift that North Korean officials threatened to deliver.

2019-12-30 17:17

Back to tensions on peninsula

A familiar pattern of harsh rhetoric between North Korea and the United States is back - literally, a war of words that does not help resuscitation of nuclear talks. The rhetoric from both sides appears to be backed up by mutual demonstrations of military might.

2019-12-16 17:07

N. Korea's shifting demands

Last April North Korean leader Kim Jong-un set a year-end deadline for U.S. flexibility to accept Pyongyang's demands. Last week Stephen Biegun, top U.S. nuclear negotiator and a nominee for deputy secretary of state, said the deadline was “an artificial one” - an implication that the U.S. won't make a major policy adjustment to meet the deadline and that the current stalemate may pass over the year-end.

2019-12-02 17:41

Volatility on Peninsula

South Korea is again facing multiple challenges to its security and peace from friends and foes alike, including the U.S., Japan, North Korea, and China. Not a surprise from the viewpoint of history and its geopolitical destiny.

2019-11-18 17:24

N. Korea's pressure campaign

Last week, North Korea launched an all-out pressure campaign on South Korea and the United States on three fronts: (1) a decision to tear down hotels and other tourist facilities at Mount Geumgang - all built with South Korean capital, (2) a diehard program for developing missiles and rocket launchers, and (3) a warning against U.S. complacency because of the good relations between its leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump.

2019-11-04 17:42

Strange things happen in NK

Last Wednesday, Oct. 16, North Korea released a picture of its leader Kim Jong-un riding a white horse on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu. The news agency reported that on horseback, Chairman Kim renewed his determination to build “a powerful and prosperous country against all headwinds” overcoming the “difficulties and hardships from sanctions and pressure from the hostile forces.”

2019-10-21 17:30

Breakdown of N. Korea talks

Long-awaited U.S.-North Korea working-level talks that finally got underway in Stockholm Oct. 5 have broken down after the first day of meeting. The breakdown came as a surprise since they were expected to make some progress. Or it was not a surprise. It was doubtful anyway that the talks will be a breakthrough for North Korea's denuclearization.

2019-10-07 18:21

US-DPRK working-level talks

Following an uneasy period of uncertainty, the United States and North Korea are ready to start their working-level talks at the end of this month, or shortly thereafter, at a place yet to be determined.

2019-09-23 18:17

Uncertainty of nuclear talks

The prospect of resuming nuclear talks between North Korea and the United States does not look good. Washington says it is ready to negotiate with Pyongyang on a working-level whenever they are ready. Two month ago, Trump said after his meeting with Kim Jong-Un at Panmunjom that Kim had agreed to hold working-level talks “in a few weeks.”

2019-09-09 18:09

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