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Sun, October 21, 2018 | 21:10

Opinion > Columnists > Stephen Costello >

Dear Korean presidential candidates

Dear Korean presidential candidates, I write to you as an outsider who supports Korea, the US-Korea alliance, and our common effort to make progress on the big issues that confront us. The many experiences and values we share are not a little thing; they are the main thing. I am amazed at the clarity, determination and civic openness of your recent demonstrations. Our own demonstrations last week have been important for us, as well. Among other things, both have been attempts to reaffirm deeply held values, and to stand against backsliding in social progress. Let’s say a few things at the be...

Stephen Costello | 2017-01-30 15:45

Korea, Trump: crisis of modernism

The US is moving in one direction while Korea is moving in the other.

Stephen Costello | 2017-01-15 15:42

The apex was reached during the George W. Bush years. It was in the wake of 9/11, which should make us stop and think a bit. That was when American hubris was most fully embraced by the president, his team, and much of the confused media. We now know that the recklessness, the shallow ideas, and the made-up ideals that drove US policy were a disaster not for decades, since it has already gone beyond that, but for generations. US credibility as a thoughtful power may never recover. That’s not such a bad thing. Even today allies such as South Korea tend to overestimate the wisdom and capabilit...

Stephen Costello | 2017-01-01 15:53

Trump's Northeast Asia deal II

The kind of thinking that dominates discussions today in Washington is very much zero-sum.

Stephen Costello | 2016-12-23 15:20

Trump's only deal in Northeast Asia

The Donald Trump administration will probably be as chaotic as his transition has been during the past 25 days. No president or candidate in memory has had less preparation, less experience, less intellectual and managerial capability, and less emotional maturity for the job. Electing Trump president is like giving a five-year-old a knife, a box of matches and a loaded gun, and then waiting. We are about to find out how strong our broken policy and legal systems are at keeping the worst from happening. Won’t it be ironic if the final bulwark against unjust, illegal or potentially catastrophi...

Stephen Costello | 2016-12-04 12:18

Korea is now on its own

I was wrong about the U.S. election. Hillary Clinton won only 1.5 million more votes than Donald Trump, when she needed to win more.

Stephen Costello | 2016-11-20 15:54

Clinton, Park - coming and going

You really can’t make this stuff up. Who could have predicted that the political systems in the U.S. and Korea would face near-implosion at almost exactly the same moment?

Stephen Costello | 2016-11-07 16:18

Who will lead NK in from cold?

The U.S. and South Korean presidents seem to be trying to topple the DPRK government through sanctions. This may work, but it probably won't. It will certainly provoke strong retaliatory actions from the North Koreans. There are new reports of activity at three nuclear test sites there. Despite these alarming signals, and the greater threat of mistakes leading to violent clashes, little will likely change for the next two months.

Stephen Costello | 2016-10-09 17:17

5 myths confront 2 new presidents

Several historians and political observers here have claimed that the US presidential election on Nov. 8 is the most important in a generation. They may have a point in that the election of Donald Trump would be a multi-level disaster for the US and many other countries. However, two points should be noted that will determine the election's importance in northeast Asia.

Stephen Costello | 2016-09-25 16:48

Rethinking Obama pivot to Asia

North Korea's fifth nuclear test on Friday can be understood as a celebration of sorts on the state's national day. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was founded on 9 September 1948. It also may be push-back against what they see as continued US and South Korean preparation for ending the Kim Jung Un regime. But it can also be read as a parting shot for President Obama as he prepares to leave office in 5 months. Assessments of his policies toward this region are emerging, and will inevitably have to deal with the contradictions and erroneous assessments that underpin the past ...

Stephen Costello | 2016-09-12 16:54

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