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June 25, 2010 | The EU-South Korea FTA - A Good Deal for Both Sides

Soyen Park: For Europe to get out of the current crisis quickly and for South Korea to diversify its trading, a prompt implementation of the FTA is essential. In spite of lobbying against the agreement by certain interest groups, ratification of the FTA could greatly help Europe’s exports and lower import costs for South Korea.

February 10, 2012 | Questioning US Commitment to Asia

US military budget cuts will hinder Obama’s new strategic focus on Asia. ++ American allies worry that a ‘leaner’ military will weaken US resolve in the region at the exact same time China is growing more assertive. ++ They also fear that US focus on Asia might not outlast the Obama presidency. ++ Countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia have improved their military

November 11, 2010 | G-20 Summit Should Not Overlook Poorest Countries

South Korea will be hosting the November 2010 G-20 Summit. ++ In this regard, the developed economies should focus on the needs of the world’s poorest countries, as they too are crucial to “rebalance” the global economy and restructure financial institutions. ++ The recent success stories among some low-income countries such as Sub-Saharan Africa show a positive economic trend. ++ What is

July 1, 2009 | North Korea: As Truce Ends, Ships Must Be Searched

The UN resolution banning North Korean weapons trade is ineffective as it requires the regime to consent to foreign inspection of its ships. ++ Yet, North Korea’s belligerent stance gives the US a go-ahead: announcing the end of the truce with South Korea, it allows the US, a combatant in the conflict and leader of the UN Command, to use force. ++ Risk of war is low, the danger of proliferation

June 11, 2009 | China is the Middleman Between US and North Korea

North Korea’s latest missile attacks and their withdrawal from the armistice with the US could escalate to become a new chapter of the Korean war. ++ “The combination of aggressive behavior and succession questions is a dangerous mixture.” ++ Both North and South Korea have reasons to avoid a new war. ++ Though the US has largely refrained from “sabre rattling,” if a new conflict did break out

May 29, 2009 | North Korea Requires a Two Track Policy

South Korea must recognize that North Korea is not treating its nuclear power as a bargaining chip, but as a safety measure and the core of its survival strategy. ++ The world’s strategy must adapt without giving up the objective of a nuclear free peninsula. ++ This requires harsh UN sanctions with China’s
participation. ++ Despite North Korea’s obstinate position, South Korea should continue

February 23, 2009 | Clinton Visit Leaves South Koreans Uneasy

Sec. of State Clinton “ran through a litany of clichés” about US-South Korean relations on her visit last week. ++ However, her perceived willingness to compromise over North Korean nukes and her appointment of Stephen Bosworth as special envoy has caused stirs among Koreans. ++ Despite promises of enduring friendship with the South, it is the prospect of bilateral US-North Korean talks

January 8, 2009 | Japan Creates Stronger Ties to Asian Neighbors

Samurai-philosopher Fukuzawa’s longstanding notion that Japan should “leave Asia and enter the West” is likely to fade in 2009. ++ “Tokyo needs to diversify diplomatic and economic relations.” ++ Ruling party LDP may soon be replaced by opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), who advocate multilateral cooperation. ++ “Japan’s efforts to establish the East Asian Community - a proposed economic

October 2, 2008 | Crisis in North Korea: Opportunity for Democracy

The possible regime crisis in N. Korea poses a threat of loose nukes, floods of refugees, and long-term economic upheaval, but is also a great chance to reunite the Peninsula under democratic rule. ++ The US-South Korean Forces may need to intervene to keep WMDs out of the wrong hands. ++ S. Korea fears an economic situation like that after the Berlin Wall, but the longer unification is delayed,

August 30, 2007 | Seoul's Mistaken North-South Summit

The prospect of a bilateral summit between North and South Korea is laudable, but Bruce Klinger from the Heritage Foundation is suspicious of the motives and the timing of South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun. With national presidential elections approaching, it is in Roh’s interest to gain public approval for unilateral aid to Pyongyang. Such uncoordinated diplomacy benefits North Korea

April 16, 2007 | Kiroku Hanai on Consolidation of US-Japanese Economic Partnership

If Japan intends to preserve its status in world trade, it must negotiate an economic partnership agreement with its biggest trading partner, the US, warns journalist Kiroku Hanai. Japan already lags behind South Korea and China in completing bilateral trade agreements and has recently shied away from free trade because of its weak agricultural sector, preferring instead multilateral negotiations

April 12, 2007 | Robert D. Kaplan on When North Korea Falls

North Korean nuclear tests are symptoms of an unheralded threat: not the exertion of North Korean strength, but the prospective collapse of Kim Jong Il’s government. Weakness in Pyongyang could result in desperation, a WMD attack on the South, or full-on military engagement with Seoul. Drawing on this possibility of collapse, Robert D. Kaplan discusses opportunities for:

1. Reconstruction and