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The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Columnists

Mitch Shin

APEC summit shows intensified rivalry between US and China

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in San Francisco ended with the confirmation that leaders will pursue the summit’s theme: “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.”

2023-11-21 16:30

Don't suspend Sept. 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement

Since South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022, Seoul has prioritized strengthening its military alliance with the United States. In the wake of a series of meetings between Seoul and Washington, they agreed to deploy the U.S. strategic assets including its nuclear aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber regularly on the Korean Peninsula as a demonstration of the U.S. extended deterrence to South Korea. With the reinvigorated joint military drills of the South and the U.S., those measures appear to have consolidated their joint military capabilities and readiness agai...

2023-10-31 16:30

Has North Korea given up normalization of relations with US?

Since Kim Jong-un, the autocratic leader of North Korea, met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia’s Far East, last month, many pundits started contending that the Kim-Putin summit implies the North’s intention to finally give up its years-long wish ― the normalization of relations with the United States. However, it is unclear whether North Korea’s goal to establish diplomatic relations with the U.S. is clearly off the table.

2023-10-17 16:30

Seoul needs to prepare for a second Trump administration

On Aug. 24, the mugshot of former U.S. President Donald Trump released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office framed him as the accused who will quite probably be declared guilty in the upcoming years, considering the multiple criminal charges he faces. However, his approval ratings have remained overwhelming against his contenders within the Republican Party, demonstrating the unwavering support of Republicans toward him. Some polls show he will win in the 2024 presidential election against U.S. President Joe Biden.

2023-09-05 16:30

Time to seek peace through diplomacy and dialogue

It has been apparent that the competition between the U.S.-led alliance and the anti-U.S. coalition in the East Asia region, endangers the Korean Peninsula and may be a key area for the new Cold War.

2023-08-06 16:30

Washington Declaration: no nuclear redeployment in South Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was warmly welcomed by U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington last week as he made the first state visit to the United States since Lee Myung-bak's in 2011. As he voluntarily sewed the historical disputes with Japan up in March, all eyes were on his visit to Washington in the expectation of getting remuneration from the U.S. president such as concrete measures to tackle the North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

2023-05-03 16:20

President Yoon ignored victims' will to mend ties with Japan

On March 6, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin announced a plan that could be a momentum to resolve one of the country's major obstacles between South Korea and Japan - compensating South Korean victims of wartime forced labor. After months of coordination with the forced laborers and Tokyo since South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022, Seoul finally unveiled its plan to circumvent the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling that has been a key cause of the cacophony over bilateral relations with Japan.

2023-03-20 16:45

Seoul's nuclear gambit is not in favor of alliance politics

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has begun the New Year by provocatively underscoring his hawkish approach to North Korea, evident since his presidential campaign days. In early January, however, he may have overstepped his brief by suggesting that if the threats from North Korea grow, South Korea could consider developing nuclear weapons or asking the United States to redeploy nuclear weapons.

2023-02-07 17:00

Making a big deal is unrealistic to denuclearize North Korea

North Korea used to pursue a big deal with the United States by utilizing its nuclear arsenal in exchange for lifting all economic sanctions. However, this strategy seems to have adjusted in the Kim Jong-un era.

2022-12-20 17:02

Allies should find new policy on North Korea

Since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office in May, North Korea has continuously tested its missiles, including the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and other advanced short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs).

2022-11-27 13:42

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