KoreaTimes(637) - Columnists, Opinion, page 7

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Opinion

Columnists

Thu, April 15, 2021 | 16:59

New engagement strategy

The South Korean administration resumed loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts into North Korea on Jan. 9, and a U.S. B-52 Stratofortress flew over South Korea from Guam on Jan. 10. Both were in response to North Korea’s claim that it conducted an underground test of an H-Bomb. Both the H-bomb claim and an earlier video alleging development of a submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) were judged to be fabrications by many experts. Nevertheless, it is assumed that progress on the technical work of development continues on the two weapons. Both are distinguished by their strategic futility, th...

2016-01-17 16:01

Comfort for whom?

The Korea-Japan Dec. 28 agreement to settle the comfort woman/sexual slavery issues between them could be a step forward for both countries. It should be some compensation for surviving women to receive compensation from Japan. Little of the rest of the agreement can survive the leaders or the related considerations that resulted in the deal.

2016-01-03 16:41

Korea at a crossroads (II)

Korea’s relationship with the United States is the key to maintaining its security and standing within Northeast Asia and the world. U.S. standing in the region is also greatly impacted by the strength, effectiveness, and particular goals of its alliance with South Korea. In context of this mutual dependence, the ROK has a great deal to say about how the relationship should evolve, how its component parts are addressed, and what timelines and goals are appropriate. However, the leaders of both countries have been pulled in different directions, and have struggled to pursue or articulate cons...

2015-12-20 16:58

Korea at a crossroads (I)

By Stephen CostelloKorea’s democratization and development into a stable middle power over the past three decades has set off a lively debate about its proper role in the bilateral alliance with the US, in the Northeast Asian region, and globally. The drive during the 1990s to make North-South rapprochement a key part of Korea’s modern, post-Cold War development was abandoned with the inauguration of President Lee Myung Bak in 2008.Since then, various initiatives have been tried as substitute foundations or organizing principles for growing Korean capabilities. Among...

2015-12-06 16:50

South Korea's reputation

In East Asia, and particularly in Northeast Asia, South Korea has enjoyed a hard-earned respect for its comparatively nonviolent transition from authoritarianism and dictatorship to multi-party democracy. While mass public protests in the summer of 1987 forced the beginning of a transition to democratic structures, it was not until a decade later in 1997 that the opposition party - and a long list of excluded groups - finally won the opportunity to change the country’s power groups. Part of that change involved promoting and expanding the role of civil society. We are being reminded now in m...

2015-11-29 16:09

Assault on civil society

A recent New York Times story was titled “Meeting with Taiwan Reflects Limits of China’s Checkbook.” The reporter, Austin Ramzynov, was making a point that may not be original, but is extremely timely. China’s decades-long model of economic engagement - with East Asian neighbors, with South Americans and with Africans - may have lost much of its appeal. Particularly in East Asia, the past two years have been a wake-up call for many observers. The March 2014 Sunflower movement in Taiwan, touched off by a trade agreement with China, and the September 2014 Umbrella movement in Hong Kong, in rea...

2015-11-15 15:07

Summits

On this page, June 15, I imagined the speech President Park Guen-hye was not able to give during her aborted visit to the United States. That exercise remains one of the “roads not taken” by the President, and its themes are still at the center of public debates. The latest summit between the two countries is not a problem in itself, since sometimes the status quo is acceptable, the best we can do for now, comfortable. In fact the U.S.-Korea alliance is not at risk; Korea’s middle power capabilities are causing it to engage in problem-solving around the world; its military is stronger than e...

2015-10-25 17:25

How is Northeast Asia changing?

China has opened a high-speed railway to Dandong on the North Korean border from Shenyang. That line would run 207 kilometers (127 miles), and will shorten the journey from three hours to just over an hour, according to the Xinhua news agency.

2015-10-11 16:43

Diplomatic incoherence

By Stephen Costello The most vexing problems of Korean diplomacy depend fundamentally on sequence. Yet that is precisely what is left unsaid by officials who prefer to pretend at policy rather than do the work. In some cases, the issue of sequence is what divides two views or options for action. Sequence in policy is highly political. It is also very much based on power and confidence. Much of the comment about President Park Geun-hye’s visit to Beijing avoids this necessity. Is it really progress for the Korean leader to urge again and publicly ...

2015-09-21 16:43

Perfect storm in Northeast Asia

Five trends are converging in the northeast Asian region. If they provoke leaders to take up the growing challenges of security, economic integration and political deal-making, we may be in for very interesting times. The times will be more interesting for the prospect that what happens in the next three to five years could distinguish this region from others - the Middle East and Europe - where dysfunction is likely to prevail for this same period.

2015-09-07 15:44

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