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Opinion

Columnists

Tue, November 19, 2019 | 12:05

Donald Kirk

Playing the waiting game

By Donald Kirk WASHINGTON ― A lot of people here, from right to left politically, think war on the Korean peninsula is imminent. Kim Jong-un, they say, is eager to order a seventh nuclear test as well as test shots of intercontinental ballistic missiles. And would not President Trump love to stage a “preemptive strike” to frustrate Kim’s grand design ― or at least attack in retaliation after Kim had already gotten away with a few more tests?Maybe, but believe it or not the U.S. is in no position to risk Korean War II, to stage a “preemptive strik...

2017-12-14 16:53

Trump's 'intelligence' problem

You have to wonder about Michael Flynn, the retired army lieutenant general who served as President Donald Trump's national security adviser for 24 days before he was forced to resign. He had spent his 33-year military career as an intelligence officer but was dumb enough to lie to the FBI about his contacts with Russians before Trump's inauguration.

2017-12-07 16:33

Meaning of a missile test

He had to do it, didn't he? Just when the optimists were saying, well, it's been a few weeks since the last one, maybe he's learned his lesson.

2017-11-30 17:39

To sanction or not to sanction?

The debate never stops. Pro -sanction people are saying the latest round of U.S. sanctions against the North may indeed bring enough pressure on Kim Jong-un to agree to talks about giving up his nukes and missiles. The anti-sanctionists say sanctions never work, and now, they say, Kim may be tempted to test still more missiles and nukes just to prove what a great and independent leader he is.

2017-11-23 17:23

Trump's magical mystery tour

President Trump had to have had a great time during his 12-day journey to East Asian capitals. Everywhere he went he was treated like royalty. No hostile politicos taunting him, at least to his face, no nasty foes hurling epithets close range as he shuttled from one leader's center of power to another, no enemies in high places trying to cost him his job even if they disagreed with him. Oh, there were demonstrators here and there, candlelight vigilantes in Seoul trying to make themselves heard as his motorcade came and went, protesters in Manila battling police to let him know they wanted hi...

2017-11-16 17:20

Trump talking tough

At least he gave it a shot. He really wanted to make it up to Panmunjom but was turned back by the weather. For most visitors, the fog that hung over the line between North and South Korea would not have been too much for a beautiful U.S. Air Force helicopter to navigate. It wasn’t as if there were high winds or a terrific downpour. The passenger in this case, however, was the president of the United States. Nobody wanted to take the remotest chance on the helicopter going down with the Trumpster himself on board.

2017-11-09 17:28

Tear down that wall

Talk about missed opportunities. Donald Trump won't be visiting Panmunjom for the chance to glower across the line at the North Korean soldiers on the other side, wave a fist and shout, "I will destroy you." That’s too bad considering just about every other American president has made the trek up there from Seoul. They all went by helicopter, not fighting the traffic as most of us have to do. I'm sure the Trumpster could summon one even if it's not on the itinerary. Think about it. Wouldn’t it be great to see and hear him sounding off on the "evil empire" as he stares right at it?

2017-11-07 17:31

Facing the summit

Donald Trump faces obstacles when he gets to Seoul next week that have nothing to do with unruly mobs trying to shout loudly enough over mega-loudspeakers for him to hear them across rows of policemen in body armor. No doubt Trump's handlers will come up with the proper verbiage to reaffirm the historic bond between the two countries. Words and phrases like "ironclad" and "no daylight between us" come to mind. That's the American equivalent to the weird Chinese "as close as the lips to the teeth." Comforting statements gushing from the Trumpster and his entourage might remind us of another l...

2017-11-02 17:39

Japan's militarist dreams

TOKYO - The overwhelming success of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the latest elections for members of the Japanese “Diet” - the peculiar word for Japan’s parliament or national assembly - portends hardening of tensions and priorities in Northeast Asia. Yes, Abe would dearly like to revise Japan’s post-war “peace constitution” whose Article 9 declares “land, sea and air force will never be maintained” and “belligerency of the state will not be recognized” (hence the term “self-defense forces” for Japan’s military establishment). In fact, one reason Abe called the snap election was to shore up ...

2017-10-26 17:13

Showing off military might

The line-up of warplanes on display beside the runway at Seoul Air Base has got to be intimidating. The sight of the latest American F35s and F22s along with all those South Korean fighters may frighten anyone contemplating war on the Korean Peninsula. They’re parked near spacious exhibition halls where manufacturers from dozens of nations show off aircraft components, and entire planes and helicopters, for potential buyers from around the world.

2017-10-19 17:22

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