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Sun, June 24, 2018 | 17:53

Opinion > Columnists > Choi Sung-jin >

One team, one nation

After many twists and turns, the single Korean women’s ice hockey team for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics went into joint training. It is heartening to see 23 South Korean and 12 North Korean players mingle with each other in a cordial atmosphere. The Olympic spirit that doing one’s best is more important than good results has long become an old story. Most, if not all, athletes, teams and nations appear now more interested in the colors of medals. The final standing for the joint South-North Korean team will be especially crucial given the controversy over forming the unified team.

Choi Sung-jin | 2018-01-30 17:05

False missile alarm

On Feb. 25, 1983, I was in the pressroom of the Prime Minister’s Office, in the now-disappeared Capitol Building in central Seoul. Around 10:30 a.m., an air raid siren wailed, and an urgent street broadcast repeatedly said, “Citizens of Seoul, we are issuing an air-raid warning. Take shelter underground.” We reporters thought it just a panic exercise. Then followed the voice: “This is a real situation, not a drill.” And we heard some jet fighters fly across the sky quite low and saw the PM’s security guards close the compound’s gate and draw out their rifles from long bags. We said to one an...

Choi Sung-jin | 2018-01-16 17:04

Olive branch from North Korea

Many observers of international politics, here and abroad, have said 2018 would be a crucial year for the Korean Peninsula.

Choi Sung-jin | 2018-01-02 16:40

Pride and pragmatism

President Moon Jae-in's four-day state visit to China last week has left some points to ponder about good diplomacy. The rival political parties disagree on most issues, but their assessments of Moon's China visit couldn't be more of a contrast.

Choi Sung-jin | 2017-12-19 16:05

Another tale of 2 cities

Pyongyang and PyeongChang - some foreigners might think these two similarly sounding places may be twin cities or something like that. Actually, a Kenyan official who was going to attend an international biodiversity conference in PyeongChang landed in Pyongyang in September 2014. This happened because a tourist agency mistook the English spellings of the two cities. As he violated the North Korean law by entering the country without a visa, the African delegate paid $500 in fines and was expelled to Beijing.

Choi Sung-jin | 2017-12-05 16:13

'Well, whose is DAS?'

“By the way, who (really) owns DAS?”

Choi Sung-jin | 2017-11-21 17:29

Balancer of Northeast Asia

Former President Roh Moo-hyun was ahead of his time in many ways. In March 2005, for example, then-President Roh said South Korea would “play the role of a balancer” for the peace and prosperity of Northeast Asia. Officials at the presidential Blue House then explained that Roh’s “theory of balancer” reflected his will toward more balanced and pragmatic diplomacy. “Seoul would play an active role in building a peace regime in this region by creating an order for multilateral security and cooperation,” they said.

Choi Sung-jin | 2017-11-07 17:39

About denuclearization

The decision could hardly be simpler and clearer. The ad hoc commission that was to decide whether Korea should continue nuclear power generation said Friday: “Go ahead with building the two nuclear plants whose construction has been suspended. But reduce the nuclear portion gradually.” (Don’t build new stations and phase out the old ones.) The conclusion, based on votes by 471 citizens, was also a sensible and pragmatic one.

Choi Sung-jin | 2017-10-24 16:43

Another nuclear debate

U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to put Koreans’ minds at ease even during their most significant holiday of Chuseok. “Only one thing will work” in dealing with nuclear-armed North Korea, the twitterer-in-chief wrote Saturday, hinting at military action against the North. Two days earlier, the U.S. leader described a gathering of American military leaders as “the calm before the storm,” while declining to elaborate. On Friday, Trump said, “You’ll find out.” It’s a small surprise then many South Koreans wonder who - Kim Jong-un or Trump - is madder and who is more anxious to firm up th...

Choi Sung-jin | 2017-10-10 18:07

What happened at the United Nations last week was enough to make its founders think again about their historic accomplishments. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea, along with its 25 million people, to defend America and its allies. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho hit back, saying, “None other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission.” Those were the scenes - top officials of the two hostile countries exchanging verbal attacks more befitting kindergartners, at the supposed international hall of peace - that insulted humankind’s cumulative wisdom...

Choi Sung-jin | 2017-09-26 16:52

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2018 Russia World Cup