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The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

SCMP
Asia

The Korea Times

Opinion

Columnists

10. Kim Won-soo

Japan's new security policy: normalizing or remilitarizing?

The Japanese government has announced a new security policy aimed at acquiring counter-strike capabilities and doubling its defense expenditure over the next five years. This is a significant departure from Japan's long-held policy of limiting its security posture strictly to self-defense. It is also the second step taken by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-led government to expand the mandate of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). The first attempt came in 2015 in the form of a new security law authorizing the JSDF's overseas deployment for U.N. peacekeeping operations and collective se...

Kim Ji-soo2023-02-06 17:00

Decoding Korea's Indo-Pacific Strategy

The phrase Indo-Pacific has become quite fashionable in international relations lately. It has replaced Asia-Pacific as the main term describing the evolving geopolitical dynamics across the region, which includes players from North America and Oceania.

2023-01-02 16:50

North Korean riddle: what next after nuclear test?

North Korea is ramping up pressure through a series of missile tests and harsh verbal attacks against South Korea's top government officials. The intensity of North Korean provocations is well illustrated by a record number of missiles launched on one day - over twenty - as well as the unprecedented frequency of missile tests averaging more than once a week for the last three months. Most observers concur that the seventh nuclear test is imminent. It is simply a matter of when, not if.

2022-12-05 17:00

Hegemonic competition beyond new Cold War

The relations among nation-states are in flux. Many pundits are raising the alarm about the return of the Cold War. But this time around, the main frontier lies not between the United States and the Soviet Union, but between the United States and China, a fast-rising challenger to the U.S.-led international order.

2022-11-07 15:43

Multilateral diplomacy: wild card with caveats for Seoul

Multilateral diplomacy has been in full swing for the new government of South Korea since right after the inauguration of President Yoon Suk-yeol four months ago. Most recently it culminated in the United Nations summit in New York, home to the most universally multilateral institution. This fall will see the upcoming G-20 summit in Indonesia and the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in Thailand held consecutively in mid-November.

2022-10-09 17:10

Korea: shrimp or safety valve between US, China?

World politics is going through a great upheaval. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the latest manifestation of the growing malaise in big power relations. At its center lies the rising rivalry between the United States and China, the world's two most powerful states and leaders of their respective blocs.

2022-09-12 17:38

Wake-up call for 'Nuke Five'

Over the last five decades, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has served as the bedrock for keeping the world safe from a nuclear doomsday. Now it stands on the brink of a breakdown.

2022-08-15 16:08

Why Korea should make the most of multilateralism

The new government of Korea is off to a hectic start with multilateral diplomacy. Last month, President Yoon Suk-yeol made a diplomatic debut at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit alongside the leaders of 30 member states, and for the first time, three other Asia-Pacific partners, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

2022-07-18 16:24

Liberal democracy under double siege

Liberal democracy, along with the open market economy, has been the main engine of progress for humanity over the last century. Liberal democracy is not perfect, but it's the best available option that we currently have. It comprises a liberal political ideology and an elected government composed of separate branches that exercise checks and balances against each other. It has evolved over time to suit the specific socio-political context of each country.

2022-06-20 19:50

Welcome reboot of Korea-US alliance

The summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol took place merely a dozen days following President Yoon's inauguration. Some may think it was a natural prelude to the Quad summit in Japan. But the symbolism attached to it cannot be overlooked. As the first stop in his very first presidential trip to Asia, there is more to President Biden's visit to Korea than meets the eye.

2022-05-25 16:26

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